That’s a wrap! Future Fabrics Expo 2024 Roundup

8th August 2024     Fashion Future Fabrics Expo Sourcing Fabrics The Sustainable Angle News Trade Shows

On 28-29th June 2022, The Sustainable Angle hosted its 10th Future Fabrics Expo — the largest, dedicated showcase of materials and innovations with a reduced environmental impact. 

As our most ambitious show to date and the first physical expo since the start of COVID, the 10th Future Fabrics Expo was held at Magazine London in London, UK, a new, larger venue of over 3,200 square meters, and featured thousands of commercially available, sustainably and responsibly produced fabrics and materials, many more new exhibitors, booths and innovators — all exemplifying effective sustainable solutions throughout the textile supply chain. 

The fashion and textile industries are currently responsible for significant impacts upon planet and people. However, in this decisive decade in the climate crisis, fashion can and must be part of the solution by being a vehicle for change, representing a powerful force by following regenerative design principles and a circular systems approach based on safe and renewable raw materials. 

At the 10th Future Fabrics Expo, thousands of textiles across all fibre categories were contextualised with educational information to enable a holistic understanding of the provenance, processing and impacts of material sources, inputs and outputs. Materials and textiles at the Future Fabrics Expo are selected by conforming to our key environmental criteria, originally established in consultation with The Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion UAL. These criteria recognise some of the most pressing resource issues and environmental impacts that relate to the fashion supply chain. 

Visitors of the Expo discovered how our fibres are grown and materials are made in relation to their impacts upon climate, biodiversity, soil and the oceans. They had the opportunity to learn about the critical imperative to source responsibly, how to operate within planetary boundaries in order to address climate change, and secure sustainable supply chains, while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. These central themes were further highlighted in our Curated Textiles Area, the Innovation Hub in partnership with Parley for the Oceans, the new Curated Area of Solutions with new partners, and echoed by our Seminar Series – all shaping the 10th Future Fabrics Expo as a one-stop shop for sustainable textiles sourcing and learning for the fashion industry. 

10th Future Fabrics Expo’s Innovation Hub was in partnership with Parley for the Oceans. “In 2012, we launched Parley and declared the Material Revolution. Since then we are pushing intergovernmental organisations, governments and brands to support, finance and implement alternative materials. This year at The Sustainable Angle’s Future Fabrics Expo we will share the next chapter of our journey. One that is dedicated to a close collaboration with nature, to green chemistry and biology. For the Oceans, Climate and Life!” – Cyrill Gutsch, CEO and Founder of Parley for the Oceans. 

 

The newly added Curated Area of Solutions featured supporting partners of the Future Fabrics Expo. Visitors explored the potential of agricultural waste as the new frontier of next-gen solutions supported by Laudes Foundation and powered by its partners Canopy Planet and Fashion for Good; the focus on Biodiversity was in partnership with LVMH. Visitors were also inspired by material solutions on display by The Mills Fabrica and Plastic Free Fashion. Forgotten fibres were rediscovered in the Hemp Hub, and the Regenerative Agriculture Area featured Savory Institute’s Land to Market. Each unique display, made possible by our partners, shared educational content for the industry to explore, learn about and experience the opportunities and roles of the future of textiles. 

 

Best-practice mills and suppliers presented their materials in their own booths, such as Ecovative, Clerici Tessuto, Chargeurs PCC and NATIVA™, Natural Fiber Welding, Bananatex, Säntis Textiles, Recyctex, Beyond Surface Technologies, UPW, Kipas Holding, Bossa, Toyoshima, Imbotex, Ventile, Nova Kaeru, RDD, and more. 

 

The Information Zone featured industry organisations leading the field such as Fashion Revolution, GOTS, Textile Exchange, WRAP, and Fashion Roundtable. 

The 10th Future Fabrics Expo also had an enhanced digital dimension, integrated with our Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo, seamlessly connecting the physical materials displayed to our online platform via QR codes. During the week, attendees received Premium Access to the Future Fabrics VIRTUAL EXPO, which hosts thousands of materials and informative resources online. 

By researching and communicating complex sustainability issues, The Sustainable Angle’s Future Fabrics Expo supports fashion brands with the connections, knowledge, and tools in order to make informed decisions and implement responsible practices throughout the fashion supply chain, to leverage positive change. 

 

Quotes from the 10th Future Fabrics Expo Seminar Series 

CLICK TO REWATCH THE SEMINAR SERIES

Discover the speakers of the Seminar Series Programme at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo

“Next-gen solutions are fundamentally lower carbon footprinted, 50% of the ecological footprint of linear extractive supply chain industries. Recycling and regenerating materials holds incredible promise, be it waste textiles, agricultural residues left over after the food grain harvest, or microbial cellulosics — next-gen solutions are truly the future of fashion.” – Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy Planet | Keynote Speaker

Watch Nicole’s Keynote Speech here 

 

 

“Collaborating with nature is the future, that’s what we believe at Parley. Our mission is nothing less than designing a new economy that is not build on exploitation, not built on old technology and old materials — an economy that is built on a vision… It’s way cooler, and we’ve proven now on a lot of levels, to wear a product that actually does something positive, that actually contributes. And it’s a very good justification for a shopping spree.” – Cyrill Gutsch, Founder and CEO of Parley for the Oceans

Watch Cyrill’s Opening Remarks here

 

 

“If we are going to zero carbon, and everything that we see today [at the Expo] is so important in terms of the fashion industry, we have to absolutely take into consideration that we have four different systems to look at: the social system, the economic system, the political system, and the global commons — together. Because the interrelationship between poverty, inequality, empowerment, and the loss and destruction of the forests, the use of our land, the way in which we engage with our economy, is fundamental.” – Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome, European and International Environmental Policy Expert | Keynote Speaker

Watch Sandrine’s Keynote Speech here

 

 

Sign up to our newsletter below for more information on Future Fabrics Expo 2023 and other initiatives we participate in throughout the year!

info@thesustainableangle.org 

For more information visit www.thesustainableangle.org/future-fabrics 

Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo: www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com 

Instagram: @thesustainableangle 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesustainableangle/ 

 

 

The full Seminar Series Programme which accompanies our textiles sourcing expo is now live!

With just a week to go until the doors open to the 10th Future Fabrics Expo at our new, expanded venue Magazine London, we are excited to announce the full Seminar Programme! ⁠

Our popular Seminar Series will host an inspirational line-up of speakers discussing key themes which will be seen throughout our materials sourcing showcase – the largest, dedicated and globally sourced display of over 10,000 textiles from over 220 suppliers in a magnitude of fibre categories, which are sustainably sourced and responsibly produced.

This year, thought leaders, industry vanguards and change-makers will tackle topics such as agricultural waste, biodiversity, plastic-free fashion, regenerative agriculture, forgotten fibres, cutting-edge innovations and so much more!

Don’t miss out on your chance to join the #MaterialRevolution! Register for the 10th Future Fabrics Expo | 28-29th June 2022 | 9AM-6PM | [REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED]

 

Don’t miss out on the 10th Future Fabrics Expo Seminar Programme! Register for your ticket here

 

What to Expect at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo 

  Discover thousands of globally sourced, sustainably and responsibly produced textiles and materials 

  Source from thousands of textiles in the Future Fabrics Expo’s Curated Showcase, each fabric is contextualised with educational information, including environmental certifications and company contact details. These textiles spotlight positive, commercially-available solutions that are alternatives to polluting conventional materials.

   Come meet the Exhibitors who will be showcasing their materials in their own booths and stands.

  Explore the next gen solutions and innovations in the Innovation Hub in partnership with Parley for the Oceans

  Discover the Curated Area of Solutions featuring supporting partners including Laudes Foundation powered by its partners Canopy Planet and Fashion for Good, LVMH, Plastic Free Fashion, and The Mills Fabrica. Rediscover forgotten fibres in the Hemp Hub and explore the Regenerative Agriculture Area including materials and samples. 

  Attend our popular Seminar Series featuring panel discussions held by thought leaders, experts, change-makers and suppliers in the fashion value chain.

  Meet organisations at our Info Hub who are leading this field

  Get Premium access to the Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo

  Different food stalls serving food all day on the terrace!

 

 

Register NOW for the 10th Future Fabrics Expo 
28-29th June 2022 at Magazine London 
**Early bird tickets available until 11 May** 

 

 

The 10th Future Fabrics Expo: source from thousands of textiles with a low environmental impact and discover sustainable solutions for a responsible fashion future. 

Join us at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo and be part of the movement galvanising positive change for the future of fashion! The Expo has expanded to include even MORE best practice suppliers. 

 

The fashion and textile industries are currently responsible for significant impacts upon planet and people. However, fashion can and should be part of the solution, representing a powerful force for positive change by following regenerative design principles and a circular systems approach. These themes take centre stage in the materials sourcing showcase, echoed by our dynamic Seminar Series. 

 

Discover how our fibres are grown and materials are made in relation to their impacts upon climate, biodiversity, soil and the oceans. Learn about the critical imperative to source responsibly, operate within planetary boundaries  in order to address climate change, secure sustainable supply chains and align with the Sustainable Development Goals.  

 

Explore the extensive Innovation Space, Information Zone and Curated Installations which spotlight positive solutions, all contextualised with educational information, including thousands of textiles across all fibre categories, providing commercially available alternatives to polluting conventional materials. 

 

For announcements and updates on guest speakers at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo, sign up to our mailer via our website and follow us on social media. Our seminar programme features diverse voices from experts around the world, including key thought leaders, innovators, industry insiders, textile producers and designers.  

 

 

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET ONE DAY 28th JUNE: 

• Admits one person on 28th June 
• Source thousands of innovative sustainable materials at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo  
• Discover best practice mills and suppliers in their own dedicated booths 
• Explore the Curated Area of solutions and get inspired by the Innovation Hub! 
• Attend our thought- provoking Seminar Series 
• 1 month Premium Access to our Future Fabrics Virtual Expo  

Register for a ticket on Future Fabrics Virtual Expo here

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET ONE DAY 29th JUNE:  

• Admits one person on 29th June 
• Source thousands of innovative sustainable materials at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo 
• Discover best practice mills and suppliers in their own dedicated booths 
• Explore the Curated Area of solutions and get inspired by the Innovation Hub! 
• Attend our thought- provoking Seminar Series 
• 1 month Premium Access to our Future Fabrics Virtual Expo 

 Register here for the 10th Future Fabrics Expo 

PREMIUM TICKET FOR TWO DAYS 28th and 29th JUNE: 

• Admits one person on both the 28th and 29th June 

• Skip the queue – Exclusive Premium ticket holder entrance to the Expo  
• Network with sustainability experts 
• 4 months Premium Access to our Future Fabrics Virtual Expo 
•  Reserved* seating for premium ticket holders for all seminars during the 2 days 
• Attend our Opening Evening Drinks Reception on Tuesday 28th June 6pm 
• Early access to the recordings of the Seminar Series  
• Source thousands of innovative sustainable materials at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo 
• Discover best practice mills and suppliers in their own dedicated booths 
• Explore the Curated Area of Solutions and get inspired in the Innovation Hub! 
• Attend our thought- provoking Seminar Series programme 

*Please note Premium ticket holders must be seated at least 5 minutes before the start of each seminar otherwise reserved seats will be released to the general public. 

 Register here for the 10th Future Fabrics Expo 

STUDENT TICKET FOR 29th JUNE AFTER 2pm** 

• Admits one student; valid student ID is mandatory upon registration 
• Explore thousands of innovative sustainable materials at the 10th Future Fabrics Expo   

• Discover best practice mills and suppliers in their own dedicated booths 
• Explore the Curated Area of Solutions and get inspired in the Innovation Hub! 
• Premium Access to our Future Fabrics Virtual Expo for the duration of the event  

 

** Please note that student tickets will be released closer to the event date. Student ID required at the entrance 

 Register here for the 10th Future Fabrics Expo 

 

Location Details: Magazine London, 11 Ordnance Crescent, Greenwich, London,  SE10 0JH  

Nearest tube station: North Greenwich – Jubilee line. 

 

Photographs by Gareth Gardner 

LOCATION AND TRANSPORT LINKS:  

• 2 minutes walk from nearest tube/underground station: North Greenwich on Jubilee line  
• One tube stop from London’s financial centre Canary Wharf  
• 13 minutes from Westminster tube/central London on Jubilee Line  
• Twenty-eight minutes by tube to Heathrow Express (Paddington)  
• Twenty five minutes by tube to Eurostar (St Pancras station)  

 

We are trying to limit the amount of waste produced by our expo. We would appreciate your cooperation with the following: 

• Food will be available on our terrace sold by a variety of vendors  
• Please bring your own  reusable water bottle – water dispensers will be available throughout the venue. 

 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

For further information, contact us at info@thesustainableangle.org  

Can’t make it to the 10th Future Fabrics Expo? You can also book a Future Fabrics Expo tailored workshop in our London Showroom by emailing us to info@thesustainableangle.org 

 

Want more info?  

Sign up to receive the latest news and event details here. 

Find out more about the last #FutureFabricsExpo held in January 2020, and see photos and videos here. 

www.thesustainableangle.org 

www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com 

#FutureFabricsExpo #MaterialsRevolution 

 

Click HERE to view our data policy and about The Sustainable Angle and Future Fabrics Expo. 

 

Press: 

Please contact  temi@thesustainableangle.org  

Rewatch 9th Future Fabrics Expo 2020 Video Highlights

 

To inquire about exhibiting, please email info@thesustainableangle.org

 

10TH FUTURE FABRICS EXPO

AT MAGAZINE LONDON 

28-29 JUNE 2022, LONDON UK 

 

 

We are excited to announce that the 10th Future Fabrics Expo will be held in an impressive new, larger, state of the art venue 28-29th June 2022! 
 

As we emerge from the Pandemic in this climate critical decade, the imperative to implement action for positive change becomes ever more urgent. We are thrilled to finally be able to build upon the collective excitement that was experienced at the 9th Future Fabrics Expo in 2020.

In order to respond effectively to the challenges of the climate and biodiversity crises – and due to an unprecedented participation response from our partners, suppliers and innovators, we decided to relocate to a new, more expansive London venue. This will allow us to create more space to showcase the solutions, tools and innovations in textiles and materials that will enable us to support a restorative, regenerative future fashion industry that places planet, people and prosperity for all as the central objective.  

As always, the exhibitors and textiles on display are contextualised with open-source educational resources throughout the Future Fabrics Expo. 

Our new space, Magazine London, is a stunning purpose-built exhibition venue with excellent transport links and close to central London (13min to Westminster), offering 3,205 square metres of versatile interior exhibition space. It also boasts a state-of-the-art livestream and audio provision which will allow us to seamlessly deliver our dynamic and highly popular seminar series, featuring the voices of global thought leaders and industry vanguards again directly into the Expo experience. 

The 10th Future Fabrics Expo will be our largest and most ambitious showcase to date, featuring many more new exhibitors, booths and innovators, all exemplifying effective sustainable solutions throughout the textile supply chain. The 10th Expo will also have a stronger digital dimension, integrated with our Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo, seamlessly connecting the physical materials sourcing to our online platform via QR codes. Visitors will also be able to access talks and panel discussions from our popular Seminar Series via the VIRTUAL Expo. 

As the largest dedicated sustainable materials showcase our platform offers a unique opportunity to be part of the solution and connect with suppliers, brands, and businesses, facilitating interaction with global and local organisations who place sustainability at the top of their agenda, all in our uniquely curated showcase.

 

Photographs by Gareth Gardner 

LOCATION AND TRANSPORT LINKS: 

• 2 minutes walk from nearest tube/underground station: North Greenwich on Jubilee line 
• 2 minutes/one tube stop to London’s financial centre Canary Wharf 
• 13min to Westminster tube/central London on Jubilee Line 
• Twenty-eight minutes by tube to Heathrow Express (Paddington) 
• Twenty five minutes by tube to Eurostar (St Pancras station) 
• Twenty minutes by taxi to City Airport (LCY) 
• The River Thames Clipper Uber boat service runs from North Greenwich to London Bridge and the London Eye. 

 

ABOUT THE VENUE: 

Magazine London https://magazinelondon.co.uk/ 

Is located close to the iconic O2 Arena, with spectacular views of London skyline and Canary Wharf, part of London’s central business district. It is also close to the new Design District, comprising sixteen buildings by eight pioneering architects as a permanent home for the creative industries.  

ADDRESS:

Magazine London, 11 Ordnance Crescent, Greenwich, London, SE10 0JH.

Rewatch 9th Future Fabrics Expo 2020 Video Highlights

 

To inquire about exhibiting, please email info@thesustainableangle.org

 

SAVE THE DATE 
10TH FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 
28-29 JUNE 2022, LONDON UK 

Over the last ten years, The Sustainable Angle’s annual Future Fabrics Expo has become the largest dedicated sustainable sourcing showcase. Modelled on our successful 9th Expo in January 2020, the physical 10th Future Fabrics Expo will include 10,000+ materials and solutions displayed, feature exhibitors, show an Innovation Hub, and curated displays dedicated to special themes, plus the popular Seminar Series which accompanies the Expo. Future Fabrics Expo is your one-stop shop for sourcing sustainably and responsibly produced materials, with each material accompanied with sustainability background information. 

The 10th Future Fabrics Expo will take place on 28-29 June 2022 at Magazine London in London, UK, with more additional exhibitor space, an expanded seminar space, and increased capacity. 
 

The physical event is designed to also cater to the strong digital dimension, integrated with our Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo platform.

 

For more details about 10th Future Fabrics Expo and to register your ticket, click here. 

 

Rewatch 9th Future Fabrics Expo 2020 Video Highlights

To inquire about exhibiting, please email info@thesustainableangle.org

 

We are excited to be taking over #TheLabE20 as curators of the space for the entire month of November 2021 to coincide with COP26.  

 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE LAB E20

 

BEHIND THE SEAMS

THURS 4 NOV, 7:30PM

Join the panel with local designer Stuart Tingini from Molini London, Joey Pringle Founder of Veshin Factory and Diana Kakkar Founder from MAES London on ethical manufacturing moderated by Katarina Rimarcikova. No booking required.

 

SEW WHAT?!

SAT 6 NOV – SUN 7 NOV, 11AM & 4PM DAILY (MORE SLOTS TO BE ANNOUNCED)

Save the Planet at your fingertips with a giant live game of ‘Sew What’ – the first mobile game informing players about sustainable fashion and join our fabric hunt. No booking required. 

 

INFANTIUM VICTORIA – THE STORY OF A GOTS SEED

SAT 6 NOV – SUN 7 NOV, 2PM DAILY

Join Dinie van Heuel, founder of sustainable childrenswear brand Infantium Victoria, for a screening of their stopmotion film on the fascinating journey of a cotton seed. No booking required.

 

FIBRE LAB SHREDDING DEMONSTRATIONS

SAT 6 NOV – SUN 7 NOV, 2PM DAILY

Join FibreLab’s founder Kaela Katz for live demonstrations of fibre shredding. No booking required.

 

POST CARBON LAB

SAT 6 NOV, SAT 13 NOV, SAT 20 NOV, SAT 27 NOV, 10AM-5PM

An opportunity to speak with the team from Post Carbon Lab about their research on climate anxiety and their innovative, photosynthesizing material. No booking required.

 

WEAVING WORKSHOPS

SAT 13 NOV, 11AM, 2PM & 4PM DAILY

Bring your own unwanted T-shirts for a DIY weaving workshop with designer Rahemur Rahman and hear more about his COP26 installation with Fashion Open Studio. No booking required.

 

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WED 10 NOV, 7:30PM

A panel with Jen Charon from Loanhood, Dottie Allan from Hackney Council and Laetitia Forst from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion. No booking required.

     

MEET IFEANYI OKWUADI 

SUN 21^st NOV 2pm

  Meet the Designer with Ifenanyi Okwuadi: Join Menswear designer Ifeanyi Okwuadi, winner of the 2021 Hyeres International Festival of Fashion Grand Jury Prize. Ifeanyi will explain his perspective on embedding sustainability in his thinking, working process and how he incorporates Savile Row tailoring practices.

CANCELLED CIRCULARITY & BIOMATERIAL INNOVATION

Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we have had to cancel the Circularity & Biomaterial innovation event due to one of our speakers testing positive for COVID.

Circularity & Biomaterial Innovation: Hannes Schoenegger, co-creator of innovative new material Bananatex and accessories brand Qwstion will be joined by the founder of the Dian-Jen Lin in conversation with Nina Marenzi, founder and Director of The Sustainable Angle.

SUSTAINABLE ADVENTURES 

THURS 25 NOV, 7:30 

Join Sophia Scott from groundbreaking materials innovators and accessories brand Groundtruth, filmmaker James Levelle and Christopher Raeburn, founder of RAEBURN, in conversation with strategist & journalist Yasmin Jones-Henry.

GROUNDTRUTH FILM SCREENING WITH Q&A

FRI 26 NOV, 7:30PM

Join Madeline St Clair and the founders of Groundtruth for a screening of their new film, first premiered during COP26, around Sophia Scott’s expedition to Greenland with Team UMIAQ. No booking required.

 

POST CARBON LAB’S CLIMATE ANXIETY RESEARCH SCREENING

SAT 27 NOV 4PM 

In sync with COP26’s climate topic, Post Carbon Lab has been conducting research around climate anxiety, climate action & fashion involving local residents & youths during The Lab E20 exhibition. This occasion is for you to hear how others perceive climate emergencies and share what you think about the age we live in to aid our research.
At the end of the screening, you can also actively take part in the research and we’ll give away an upcycled cushion made from plastic waste to one lucky participant.

 

WORKSHOP BY JESSE LEE 

SUN 28 NOV 4PM 

Join a fun, chilled DIY workshop with Redress Design Award alumnus, Jesse Lee where you will learn 2-3 easy stitching techniques and how to apply them in a playful way to embellish your clothes. Bring along a garment or two that you are looking to refresh. With a focus on clothing longevity, Jesse’s recent work is inspired by the powerful simplicity of Picasso’s single line drawings and he aims to emulate this simplicity through animal portraits to prolong the life of clothes.

 

EXHIBITIONS

EVERY THURS – SUN, 10AM-5PM

Check out engaging and inspiring exhibitions throughout the month from: Bananatex, fabrics and bags made from banana (Abaca) leaves; Groundtruth, producing travel bags from 100% recycled plastic materials; Post Carbon Lab, biohacking and sustainability consultancy; Cassie Quinn, regenerative design studio; Molini London, luxury sustainable satin brand and Ifeanyi Okwuadi, a designer inspired by nuclear disarmament.

+ MANY MORE

We debuted our Paris edition of the Future Fabrics Expo from 23-28 September at La Caserne, Europe’s largest sustainable fashion accelerator hub.
 
The Expo featured a curated display of thousands of sustainable materials, alongside best-practice suppliers, and spotlighted the latest innovations around recycling technologies and regenerative agriculture. 

Thank you to all those who attended our Future Fabrics Expo Paris edition! We welcomed many visitors ranging from luxury brands to high-street retailers to startups, and academics.

We were thrilled to have seen such a strong demand for the materials we showcased. The sheer intent, energy, and engagement exceeded our expectations. Visitors’ interest in reading the educational content we provided was heartening, from materials’ environmental impacts to the sustainability information of potential solutions.

Future Fabrics Expo in Paris was also part of the inauguration of La Caserne. Over the weekend we were part of The Conscious Festival by Green is the New Black. 

HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR PARIS EDITION: 

 

• Thousands of sustainably and responsibly produced materials from over 120 suppliers and exhibitors.
• Emerging and groundbreaking textiles in the Innovations display – pointing the way to a positive future materials landscape
• Engaging conversations around the provenance of materials and their processing routes and impacts, as well as key sustainability initiatives.
• Curated display of nature-positive materials focusing on regenerative agricultural and wildlife-friendly practices, supported by Kering.
• Specially featured stands including Lenzing’s TENCEL™ Lyocell and True Carbon Zero, and Bananatex® textiles made from abaca plant fibres.
• Thank you to Groundtruth for sponsoring our travel bags made from 100% recycled plastic. 

 

 

FEATURED MILLS & SUPPLIERS AT FUTURE FABRICS EXPO PARIS

 COMING UP!

THE SUSTAINABLE ANGLE AT TED COUNTDOWN: TO A BETTER FUTURE EDINBURGH, UK, 12-15 OCTOBER 

 

The Sustainable Angle will be showcasing a curated display of innovations and solutions from the Future Fabrics Expo at TED’s Countdown Summit with 1,000 leaders in Edinburgh, UK. COUNTDOWN is a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action. Countdown seeks to answer five fundamental, interconnected questions in the areas of Energy, Transport, Materials, Food and Nature, that help inform a blueprint for a cleaner future.   Learn More>

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The Sustainable Angle is pleased to announce the FUTURE FABRICS EXPO PARIS EDITION 2021, which will run from 23-28 September at La Caserne, Europe’s largest sustainable fashion accelerator hub. Our first-ever Paris edition will be part of the inauguration of La Caserne.

For the first time, the Future Fabrics Expo will feature in Paris as the key sustainable sourcing destination for designers and brands, offering a physical in-person showcase of thousands of materials, sustainability knowledge and innovative supplier insights. During the week, attendees will receive Premium Access to our digital platform, the Future Fabrics VIRTUAL EXPO, which hosts thousands of materials and informative resources online.

La Caserne is at 12 Rue Philippe de Girard, 75010, Paris, France

 

  REGISTER FOR THE FUTURE FABRICS EXPO PARIS TODAY!

 

 

Private Viewing Dates

The Private Viewing dates are FREE to attend! Please simply register your interest via the link below. If you are unable to pre-register, you can also register at the door.  

 

Thursday 23 September, 11:00-19:00
Friday 24 September, 9:30-12:00
Monday 27 September, 11:00-19:00
Tuesday 28 September, 11:00-17:00

 

SELECT A DATE AND REGISTER FOR FUTURE FABRICS EXPO PARIS >
 

During the weekend of 24th – 26th September from 12pm, Future Fabrics Expo will also be part of The Conscious Festival taking place at La Caserne. Hosted by Green is the New Black, this educational and festive event is available in a hybrid format. Click here to register for The Conscious Festival and find out more.

 

 WHAT TO EXPECT AT FUTURE

FABRICS EXPO PARIS EDITION

 

🌍 EXPLORE the latest materials collections and sustainability initiatives from our featured mills and suppliers. Discover dedicated showcase booths featuring Lenzing’s TENCEL™ Lyocell and True Carbon Zero Initiative, Bananatex® textiles made from abaca plant fibres.   🌱 Dedicated area to the curated display “Nature-Positive: The Future for Fashion” supported by Kering, showing materials focused on biodiversity and working towards a nature-positive impact, and informational content around regenerative agriculture for fashion, soil health, and natural materials from production systems that incorporate wildlife friendly practices.   🔍 Browse thousands of sustainable materials from around the world in a diverse range of fibre categories such as materials from regenerative agriculture, agricultural waste, recycled natural materials, organic cottons, low impact wools and animal fibres, sustainable silks, linens, bast fibres, responsibly produced leather, innovative alternatives to animal skins, and Lenzing Group’s dedicated corner showcase of regenerated cellulosics, including TENCEL™ Lyocell and REFIBRA™ Technology.   🔬 Discover a curated display of speculative and commercially emerging innovations that present new material opportunities driving much needed change in our industry, towards a more sustainable and diverse materials future.    📱 Benefit from Premium access to the Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expothroughout the duration of the event, with new and improved site features designed to enhance your online sourcing experience. Browse thousands of fabrics from our mills and suppliers and explore informative educational content and resources around sustainable fashion solutions. QR codes are attached to selected materials providing a seamless experience to our virtual platform for each textile.   ⏰ Countdown with us online to the Paris Edition via Instagram Live from 14 – 16 September. Tune in online with us for conversations with featured mills and suppliers from our showcase, as we will be spotlighting their latest innovations, products and initiatives showcased in Paris.     FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM FOR UPDATES

 

 

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The Sustainable Angle’s display “Nature-Positive: The Future for Fashion”, supported by Kering, will be showcased at this year’s IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France, from 4-9 September 2021. With over 160 countries participating, the IUCN Congress is a key milestone before pivotal UN conferences in Kunming and Glasgow, and aims to drive action on nature-based recovery, climate change and biodiversity.

 

According to the IPCC report, the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius warming is now perilously close. Global warming is affecting every region on earth and accelerating sharply, with many of the changes becoming irreversible. We are witnessing extreme weather conditions and climate disasters increasing in frequency and intensity. The fashion industry needs to take immediate action in its production systems, as there is a clear moral and economic imperative to protect the lives and livelihoods of those on the front lines of the climate crisis, such as those in our fashion industry’s production systems.

 

Fashion needs to urgently focus on sourcing its raw materials from regenerative and restorative production systems. This will help the sector embed sustainability into products while mitigating the climate crisis and contributing positively to livelihoods and biodiversity and ultimately achieve a truly circular economy. Agricultural practices and systems — if managed appropriately — could also integrate ecological connectivity, wildlife protection, restoration of micro-habitats, soil health, and ecosystems. In this way, agriculture for fashion can go beyond reducing negative impacts and move towards nature-positive.

 

The display will feature fabrics and materials grown and produced with regenerative agricultural practices: examples such as silk and wool from fibres that are Wildlife Friendly® Certified; organic cotton, regeneratively farmed leather and cashmere; forgotten plant fibres such as linen, bast and ramie; and wild animal fibres that diversify the fibre basket, ensure animals’ welfare and protection and integrated into the ecosystem while supporting farmer livelihoods.

 

Materials on display are contextualised by informational content around regenerative agriculture for fashion, soil health, and natural materials from production systems that incorporate wildlife friendly practices, as well as special projects focused on biodiversity that are undertaken by Kering such as the Regenerative Fund for Nature.

 

Kering and Conservation International announced the first 7 grantees under their “Regenerative Fund for Nature” following its launch in January 2021. The initial round of funding focuses on promising and innovative projects to help drive the transition of 1 million hectares of land to regenerative practices in luxury and fashion’s cotton, wool, cashmere and leather supply chains. The first recipients of the Regenerative Fund for Nature form a diverse and influential portfolio across critically important landscapes in need of improved stewardship. They will initially support over 840,000 hectares transitioning to regenerative approaches, directly benefiting 60,000 people engaged in small and larger scale farming systems.

 

Join The Sustainable Angle at Booth E21 at the Business & Nature Hub, learn more about how fashion can move towards nature-positive and discover materials made from regenerative and restorative production systems. Open to general public from 4-9 September 10AM – 5:30PM.  Follow us on Instagram @thesustainableangle for updates and news at IUCN.  

 

Thank you to Kering for their generous partnership and support for the “Nature-Positive: The Future for Fashion” display.

 

Supported by

 

 

 

 

Event Details

IUCN World Conservation Congress 2021

Dates: 3-11 September, 2021

Website and Event Information: https://www.iucncongress2020.org/

More about the Regenerative Fund for Nature: https://www.kering.com/en/sustainability/safeguarding-the-planet/regenerative-fund-for-nature/

 

 

 

The Future Fabrics Expo 9½ provided a platform for twelve panel discussions uniting forty voices from brands, suppliers, thought leaders, innovators and educators around how the fashion and textile industries are responding to the most pressing challenges of our times, spotlighting innovations, inspirational industry examples and highlighting how we can all play a critical role in creating and driving positive change. 

 

Discussions during this Expo drew together experts around the core themes of CLIMATE, our relationship with NATURE and BIODIVERSITY, and the place of INNOVATIONS and REGENERATIVE systems that can drive the fashion industry to a POSITIVE future. Panel talks framed the role of the fashion industry as an agent for change and its powerful potential to mobilise the creativity and solutions thinking that is at the core of true circular and regenerative design thinking. 

 

PARLEY founder and CEO Cyrill Gutsch outlined in his opening address that we urgently need to address our dependency on oil, and the plastic pollution created from this ‘design failure’, focusing on decoupling from it as a raw material and energy source if we are to tackle climate change. All toxic materials and practices need to go, and we need to rapidly repair natural systems and restore biodiversity in order to rebalance the carbon cycle and tackle this crisis. We are now poised on the brink of a new materials revolution that recognises and prioritises the health of the planet and all living things, whilst actioning the cleaning up of our toxic industrial legacy…  

 

CLIMATE  

 

The Role of Fashion in Action for Climate Transformation  

journalist Bel Jacobs emphatically established the critical imperative for change, interrogating the fashion and textiles industries’ responsibility to tackle climate change. With just ten years left to address biodiversity loss, land use and impacts of the climate crisis, scaling up of concrete climate action demands deep systems shifts. 

 

Sandrine Dixson-Decleve, co-president of the Club of Rome, called for urgent action- we have already  gone beyond several of the planetary boundaries delineated by the work of scientists at The Stockholm Resilience Centre. She noted that fashion sets the cultural tone, and links to the citizen consumer as vehicles for change too. We need to shift to circular and regenerative models and decouple from our extractive impacts on resources. Claire Bergkamp, COO of NGO Textile Exchange also established the need to decouple from growth and observed that the textile value chain represents a huge part of the impacts because it is reliant on agricultural systems. She explained that there is also opportunity for carbon sequestration and repair, but we need to be careful to focus upon what works now: emphasizing that ‘on the ground farm innovation are the things we know that work such as on site composting and replacement of synthetic feritlisers’. Textile Exchange have announced Climate Plus initiative and will be the driving force for urgent climate action with a goal of 45% reduced CO2 emissions from textile fibre and material production by 2030. The 2030 Strategy for Climate Plus is the result of extensive stakeholder engagement through interviews and an online surveys conducted with a mix of Textile Exchange members and non-members from organizations representing brands, retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, nonprofits and professional services across the globe. The initiative will priortise climate action, the PLUS  is to show that in addition to climate, focus is also on biodiversity, soil, water and the need for partnerships with on the ground farmers.

 

Claire Bergkamp emphasized that: ‘For stakeholders in the industry we are at a critical moment, but for practical advice companies can buy certified materials as a great place to start. She advised joining a textile Exchange roundtable- which are open to everyone and support industry to work with best practice materials. Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu from UNFCCC Fashion Industry Charter for Climate action, launched in 2018 spoke about COP26 Race to Zero in November, and how we need to think holistically, as the next ten years will determine the fate of humanity. ‘Despite some recent momentum there is still serious work to be done; in order to achieve net zero by 2050 steep actions need to be undertaken. She observed that the worrying thing here is pace- we know that solutions exist, but the pace and rate of scaling up is too slow and that ‘efficiency cannot outrun scale.’ Sandrine emphasized that we ‘need to get real around capital shifts- such as peverse subsidies’. Textile supply chains and positive raw materials systems must be accelerated and radically transformed at scale and all actors from farmers to brands need to come together to leverage change. Bel observed that the power of fashion as a communicator is significant, and the investment in fashion advertising that could be reframed to create positive messages; Lindita posed the question what can we do to communicate to consumers what a 1.5 degree lifestyle looks like? Sandrine expressed a call to action; we need to be stubborn but realistic optimists; ‘we are facing a planetary emergency, and if we don’t make radical systems shifts we will continue to experience constant shocks, so we need to put in place risk management and resilience building levers’.   

 

Clare Carroll from WRAP and Martin Brambley, founder of non-woven textile company Dopplehaus joined Sophie Wilson from the Race to Zero initiative to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, who outlined the fashion industry alignment process toward COP26 to discuss How Reviving Regional Supply Chains can Enable Low Impact Fashion Systems of the Future. The Dopplehaus wool fibre story provided a captivating case study in understanding how fibre choice and local networks are key to addressing CO2 emissions from provenance, processing and post life impacts. Claire outlined WRAP’s Sustainable Clothing Action Plan Textiles 2030 is the UK’s most ambitious voluntary agreement, with 70 fashion brands on board committed to reducing the environmental impact of textiles, with two main goals; to reduce aggregate GHG’s footprint on new products by 50%, and to reduce the aggregate water footprint of new products by 30%. 

 

The Fashion Designers as Change Makers conversation addressed the culture of fashion as a powerful tool for change and communication of new fashion values. Fashion Revolution co- founder Orsola de Castro referenced the parallels between food and fashion and our relationship with natural resources. Stylist Fran Burns noted that driving change can come from informed conversations with designers and sees ‘the role of the stylist is an opportunity to have fresh eyes in the room’ and that to ‘bring knowledge is power, and we all have a responsibility to encourage less production and by doing things that are less impactful’.  

 

 

NATURE-POSITIVE MATERIALS AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE  

 

 

Nature-Positive Materials: Best practice with Wildlife at the Core drew upon the on the ground experience of Julie Stein from the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network, who observed that most brands cannot trace back materials to the individual farm, and without this we cannot solve the biodiversity crisis; ‘the conversion of land to pasture and crops is the biggest driver of wildlife habitat loss’. She emphasized that farms should not be monocultures, by creating a haven for a variety of species habitat patches are stepping stones for wildlife across a farm, with no physical barriers such as fences to prevent mobility of wildlife, and allowing the functional role of predators that supports ecosystem health. She cited examples of best practice wildlife management in Argentina and noted that regenerative agricultural systems mimic the natural movement of all wildlife. Head of nature initiatives at Kering Group Dr Helen Crowley stated that ‘you cannot get to nature-positive unless you take into consideration wildlife.’  

 

Discussions for The Imperative for Regeneratively Grown Materials panel explored the designers’ perspective and responsibility to act. Sheila Cooke of the Savory Institute’s hub 3LM, which supports regenerative farming and cited Fibreshed author Rebecca Burgess: ‘your clothing choices are an agricultural act – by purchasing and wearing you are voting for the agriculture you want to see in the world – you are either feeding soil microbiology and furthering nature, or leaving a world of plastic pollution’. Sheila Cooke outlined that regenerative farming demands holistic thinking around the healthy interaction of diverse life forms – for example: don’t plough (no till system) in order to allow complex underground systems to do their work, and grow cover crops, allow a diverse range of crops and bring animals back to the land in managed grazing systems to regenerate the soil. Regenerative farming expert Sara Grady from the Grady + Robinson collaboration supplies finished bovine and sheep leather that can be traced to its UK farm origins with assured agricultural practices, followed by vegtable tanning in the UK. Farms that raise animals to the highest standards for food restores our ecosystems. British accessories designer Anya Hindmarch outlined her journey toward sustainable thinking following the responsibility she felt in 2007 to begin a project to encourage the decoupling from single use plastic. Her curiosity regarding materials opened her eyes and led to a struggle to find recycled leather that wasn’t held together with plastic binders. She highlighted the lack of transparent supply chains with respect to animals, land and people and observed how disconnected leather production is from farming, and how most hides are a by-product of industrial agriculture: ‘no one talks about the provenance of the skins, unlike in the food industry’. She highlighted the problem of most alternatives to leathers which are mainly based on unsustainable and polluting synthetics. 

 

Exploring the collaboration for H&M between natural high-performance textiles Bananatex and British footwear brand Good News provided the case study for exploring how we can replace plastics in the industry in Can Plants Power the Future of Footwear? Christian Layolle from Mills Fabrica in conversation with Hannes Schoenegger CEO of Bananatex and Swiss Accessories brand Qwstion, drew on the footwear industry experiences of Alan Lugo from plastic free US company Natural Fibre Welding in how  collaborations are leveraging change. NFW innovations include fully bio leather alternative MIRUM, and Bananatex’s raw material comes from the plant Abacá, grown in a natural ecosystem of sustainable mixed agriculture and agroforestry, and CLARUS altered cotton yarn (also applicable to other fibres) at the molecular level to strengthen it. The synergies between both companies became apparent regarding their 360 degree circular design thinking, and how deep knowledge of materiality is critical in enabling products to close their own loops and return safely to the biosphere.  

 

The Regenerative Future of Dyes drew together five innovators and practitioners in a curated symposium led by Carole Collet from CSM Maison/0. Founder of the Dyers Circle Jackie Andrews-Udall set the scene with the historic context and story of natural dyes as part of a sustainable fashion strategy, linking colour with a sense of place. Most of our modern dyes are made from highly toxic synthetic petrochemicals and occupy a significant role in regard to pollution impacts and water use.  The place of regenerative systems for the future of colour was exemplified by varied innovations such as Colorifix, a non- petrochemical process that takes a synthetic biology approach identifying DNA sequences via microrganisms to create specific colours. Carbon negative innovations derived from bacterial algae, in this case the waste product from growing spirulina Scott Fulbright from Living Ink explained how they are changing the way products are made by using algae for Algae Ink™ as colourant products which have a negative carbon footprint, are safe, bio based, resistant to UV light. Nikhil Kaushik from Graviky Labs explained how their technology captures carbon emissions and upcycle this air pollution into sustainable inks, paints, coatings etc, using mainly dry technologies to create AIR-INK®.  

 

An innovative cellulose based refracted ‘colour’ for sequins using no colourants or metal coatings responds to fashion’s hunger for all that glitters, providing a captivating sustainable solution. Traditional sequins are made from non- renewable and non biodegradeable materials, and Oxfam research recently highlighted that in the UK around 30 million sequin garments are purchased during one festive season, most which usually end up in landfill. By observing the structural function of refracted light on beetles and butterfly wings Elissa Brunato, founder of design led material innovation start up Radiant Matter employs biomimicry to rethink the nature of our most vibrant and glittering materials. 

 

The Plastic and Fashion panel linked our dependency upon non-renewable oil based materials, which are essentially created from plastic to the products we all wear. Sian Sutherland from A Plastic Planet established the environmental and health risks in her introduction. Around two thirds of global fibre demand is taken up by oil based synthetics, which are non biodegradeable and shed harmful microfibres. Maria Westerbros founder of A Plastic Soup Foundation which puts pressure on industry and governments, focused on emphasizing that microplastics that proliferate through all our products, citing scientific studies that conclude by breathing in and ingesting these materials is making humans sick. Dr Luke Haverals founder of US based Natural Fibre Welding create complex composite materials from ‘plants not plastic’ stating that ‘the carbon footprint of plastic is massive and doesn’t just go away by recycling’. Nicholas Rochat from the brand Mover Plastic Free Sportswear told an inspirational story of how he disrupted the outdoor product category material expectations by entirely removing synthetics from the brands product offer.  

  

Ten years ago Greenpeace started the Detox fashion campaign and shone a spotlight on the chemical impacts upon the environment and human health, pushing fashion brands for commitments to detox their supply chains of hazardous chemicals. The panel discussion on Tackling toxicity in Materials explored the industry’s addiction to synthetic materials, dyestuffs and finishings. Around 8000 chemicals are used in the growth and processing of our textile fibres, and it is important to understand that even ‘safe’ chemicals can have toxic properties, but it does depend on what you do with them and how you are manging them. Frank Michel from ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) is co author of Detoxing the Fashion Industry for Dummies, written to help demystify the use of chemicals in the fashion industry, and increase understanding. He explained how the ZDHC Gateway provides an open datebase and information source, also provides wastewater guidelines and verification of suppliers efforts to eliminate hazardous chemicals. The ZDHC organisation also coordinate a digital Impact Day that has world wide reach. The RSL (restricted substances list) is dominated by substances that are regulated and the RSL is tested for only at the final product stage. The MRSL (material restricted substances list) is the backbone of the work at ZDHC on textiles and leather and focuses on chemical use throughout the material processes.

  

Ananas Anam are the creators of the vegan pinapple agricultural waste non-woven leather alternative material Pinatex.  Dr Raquel Prado Garcia, head of research and sustainability at the company outlined the challenges of creating coatings for Pinatex that provide the longevity and performance that the market demands for commercial viability, and also meet the company’s goals toward best sustainable practice from provenance and processing of the material. She explained that transferring lab based bio-explorations do not transfer easily to production methods;  ‘we need to be able to work with industrial systems to develop the surface coatings of the non- woven, and adapting the manufacturing processes is also an area for innovation that takes time.’ The company have a road map for consistent improvements in impacts; they currently use PU (polyurethane), but only use water based PU in order to avoid VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) emissions. Ananas Anam’s impacts are monitored and the company have reduced C02 impacts in 2 yrs by 40% and reduced the use of fossil fuels by 30%. The next frontier is the continued exploration of the entire material composition from renewable bio sources.  

 

Mark Ix from Advance Denim has worked in the denim industry for over 30 years and observes that Indigo is a very difficult dye to get on to a fibre, which can incur significant water, energy and chemical use. Recently there has been a huge drive from all the denim producers to respond to the sustainability imperative, and the industry is active in innovations, particularly . Traditionally the market is extremely demanding regarding nuances of tactile appeal   Advance Denim strives to be the most sustainable supplier, and Mark explained that ‘we look at the problems as opportunities; cleaner inputs and how do we do thei a cleaner and more efficient way.’ Advance Denim have introduced ‘Bio Blue’ a patented FDA approved process that was three and half years in development. Traditionally sodium hydrosulphite has been used in the dyeing process and is highly toxic and unstable, and we have removed this with no reduction in  big box dyeing technology alone saves 41% energy, water 95% and 20% reduction in chemicals. The next step is exploring the opportunities for circularity in the post-consumer recycling of denim.  

 

 In Technologies Enabling Traceability and Transparency from Fibre to Fashion the pivotal role that pioneering new embedded fibre technologies play in assuring traceability was explained in detail. The 2020 CEO Agenda published by The Global Fashion Agenda outlined the first ‘core priority for immediate implementation’ is that of supply chain traceability. Many top fashion brands have announced targets for 100% sustainable fibres by 2025, but it is estimated that less than 5% of those brands are able to trace their textile inputs to verify the sustainability credentials of the fibre producers. Our textiles and fashion supply chains are criss-crossed around the world, and are long, fragmented and opaque, often concealing environmental and human rights abuses making traceability notoriously difficult. Embedding fibre tracers, married to blockchain technologies can track and verify fibres and also communicate information to consumers in the retail environment. Burcu Ozek Sales Manager at denim supplier Bossa International reports that ‘traceability has become a key issue driving innovation for us’, and recently collaborated with Shannon Mercer, CEO of Fibre Trace® to create the D-Chronicles project. The Fibretrace system uses patented particles embedded in the fibre that exist for the entire life of the product and are non toxic. They can be mixed into any natural or man-made fibre at the very start of the production process (often at the farm itself), with no impact on texture or performance. Simeon Nachev Head of Digital Value Chain Lenzing Group spoke about using the innovative technology of the TextileGenesis™ platform in a collaboration with ArmedAngels, verifying LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and Authentico® fibers. Both the Bossa and Lenzing collaborations allow the consumer to view the surprising revelations and authenticity of the product journey right from the provenance of the fibre. 

 

INNOVATIONS 

The Demystifying New Material Innovations discussion explored the new biomaterials landscape, which is currently on a rapid growth trajectory, and since 2015 has attracted around 1.29 billion USD worth of investment. New material categories, many of which have been in R&D for twenty years are now becoming commercially available, and are poised to change our raw material sources and processing impacts by addressing our very relationship with nature. In conversation with experts Suzanne Lee, founder of Biofabricate and Dr Amanda Parkes, Chief innovation officer of Pangaia, unpicked what we mean by ‘biofabricated’ materials and their potential for the creation of responsible products, with innovations in this field being driven by the need to find sustainable solutions to our most impactful material categories. Suzanne observed that there was one word; ‘biobased’- that both USDA and the EU and agree on this definition, (that may actually be less than 25% bio content) however there are many technologies that can produce a biomaterial.  Some of these innovations are being described in the same category as complex biofabricated materials, and this is why it is important to understand the differences and help to unpick the impacts of inputs and outputs. Suzanne outlined potential to shift how we do things quite radically on challenges related to extractive practices and biodiversity. She outlined the bioassembled mycellium innovations as the ones poised to have the most immediate impact on the fashion industry and also highlighted the emerging PHA group of textile fibres, such as LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology which works much like a brewery attached onto an emission source like a steel mill or a landfill site, but instead of using sugars and yeast to make beer, pollution is converted by bacteria to create chemicals.  

 

Dr Amanda Parkes explained Pangaia’s role as a brand and materials science company offering new material possibilities working and designing with nature to form new material possibilities. Pangaia’s business model invests in or works on co-development, directing industry into a new space and empowering innovation at the early stage via collaborations to get things done more quickly to leverage change. She explained: ‘at Pangaia we don’t invent everything, we have many team members doing the due diligence on new innovations and we use materials as a tool for our business’. Amanda referred to their cutting edge insulative innovation FLWRDWN™, which was ten years in development as ‘high tech naturalism’ and uses no animal products, no synthetics, no petro-biopolymer and a cellulosic aerogel. Pangaia have permission to responsibly harvest wildflower down for FLWRDWN™ from a conservation loop that they are part of, helping to restore the habitat of key pollinators and the preservation of local biodiversity. She sees the next generation being focused on regenerative agriculture waste, explaining; ‘eventually we will own farms in order to sustain a whole new way of looking at the model of material innovation’. 

Understanding ‘Bio’ Material Innovations A Primer for the Fashion Industry Biofabricate and Fashion for Good 2020 

 

From the 22nd June – 2nd July 2021, we look forward to welcoming you to the Future Fabrics Expo 9½. It will be held in person at our spacious new showroom in London*. As we ease out of the pandemic restrictions, this interim Expo will be your key sustainable sourcing destination, offering a physical showcase of thousands of materials, sustainability knowledge, supplier insights, advice, and networking events.

 

For those who can’t join us in person, this physical showcase is accompanied by online panel discussions with experts and thought-leaders every day from 1PM – 2PM during the Expo. You will also be able to explore even more fabrics and newly launched features on our Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo that will enhance your online sourcing experience.

 

Future Fabrics Expo 9½ is aimed at supporting fashion professionals seeking to understand sustainability impacts and source a wide range of more responsibly-produced textiles and materials for a positive and responsible fashion future. All material qualities are supported with detailed sustainability information and contextual content.

 

  REGISTER FOR THE FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 9-1/2 TODAY!

 

*COVID-19 social distancing measures and restrictions will still in place as per the UK government’s announcement yesterday.  We are respecting all the government’s guidelines ensuring social distancing, controlled people flow and capacity in our showroom, as well as further measures include such as one-way flows, separate entry/exit arrangements, staggered access times, signage/crowd management, floor markings, with spaced out furniture for more flexible space.

Upon arrival, you will be directed to the sanitisers . Please also bring along a mask and wear it whilst in the building. Naturally, if you do show symptoms of COVID-19 or you recently had a positive test please do not attend.

 

We looking forward to seeing you!

 

 

 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 9½:

• 9½ OPEN DAYS AT OUR *NEW* WEST LONDON SHOWROOM, W10 6BL
• EXPLORE AND FEEL THOUSANDS OF MATERIALS ON DISPLAY
• DISCOVER THE LATEST COLLECTIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES OF FEATURED MILLS AND SUPPLIERS
• ONLINE PANEL DISCUSSIONS WITH PARTNERS & INDUSTRY EXPERTS
• PREMIUM ACCESS TO THE FUTURE FABRICS VIRTUAL EXPO
• LEARN ABOUT MATERIAL IMPACTS THROUGHOUT THE VALUE CHAIN
• A CURATED SHOWCASE OF EMERGING INNOVATIONS

 

 FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 9½
DIGITAL PANEL TALKS PROGRAMME

 

 

(more…)

As we all grapple with the continued uncertainty the New Year has greeted us with, and news updates on both vaccine programmes and the emergence of COVID variants continue to radically reshape our personal and professional business realities, we are reframing our plans for 2021. We remain focused on providing the largest dedicated showcase for responsible and sustainable materials solutions.  Our mission is to provide the fashion industry with the tools for change to become a positive sector, reducing drastically its GHG emissions by 2030 and meet the Paris climate agreement targets! Given the ongoing challenges with scheduling trade fairs, and larger events this year in all areas of business, we are delighted to announce our roadmap of linked events for 2021:

FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 9½
JUNE 2021, LONDON
 in our showroom and on our digital platform, 
culminating in the 10^th Anniversary Future Fabrics Expo later in the year. 

FUTURE FABRICS EXPO – MILESTONES FOR 2021

• Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo relaunch in March 2021: visitors will be able to experience even more materials from our exhibitors of the Future Fabrics Expo online with more educational information and content with enhanced sourcing experience. 

 

• FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 9½, June 2021, London: building upon our previous, most successful, and largest 9th Expo in January 2020. We will host Open Days in our new London showroom for 9½ days. This will be a physical showcase tailored to COVID19 restrictions. Aimed at supporting fashion professionals wanting to source in person more responsibly and sustainably produced textiles and materials, contextualized with educational and informational display content (potential remaining COVID19 restrictions will determine the number of visitors allowed at this time).

 

• This exceptional FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 9½, June 2021, London edition will also feature online conversations, workshops and masterclasses with our partners, experts and thought leaders, and where COVID19 restrictions allow some of these can also be accommodated in our showroom. Please see the link here for insight into our July 2020 virtual event.

 

• We are excited to have these linked events throughout  2021 culminate in an anniversary 10^th FUTURE FABRICS EXPO, date TBC, and as soon as COVID-19 uncertainties are eased for international travel. The 10^th FUTURE FABRICS EXPO will be modelled on our successful 9^th Expo held in January 2020 but will be held in a new venue well suited for managed people flows. It will also feature a stronger digital dimension than ever before, seamlessly connecting sourcing materials physically to our online platform. 

 

 

Further milestones and events during 2021 will be announced soon…

 

 

We look forward to seeing you in person at our FUTURE FABRICS EXPO 9½, June 2021 in London, to discover materials and their place in systems that go beyond reducing environmental and social impacts, but are regenerative, safe and aim to have a positive impact on people and planet. ⁠

 

 

 

While there are several areas for action for sustainability in fashion, the most powerful and positive outcomes come from the materials that our industry uses. The key themes at the 9^th Future Fabrics Expo —  RESTORE, REGENERATE, DIVERSIFY and INNOVATE — stressed the urgent message that we all need to contribute to reducing climate impacts by making positive choices around how our fibres and materials are grown, and by seeking responsible practices from our suppliers. An important anchor point at the Expo was an installation on regenerative agriculture, supported by Kering, to spotlight on how positive agricultural practices can address the climate change crisis.

 

WHAT IS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE?

 

Regenerative Agriculture is a system of alternative farming practices that leverage the power of plants to keep carbon in the soil (carbon sequestration), increases the capacity of soils to hold water, enhances the resilience of crops while reducing excessive inputs of synthetic agricultural-chemicals, support the livelihoods of farmers, and regain the nutrient density of food.

 

According to non-profit organisation Regeneration International, the term refers to “farming and grazing practices that reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity.” 

 

By choosing raw materials from suppliers that use regenerative agricultural practices, we can help restore our soils, regenerate the natural systems that support life on our planet, and contribute to decarbonising the planet. It is estimated that 30% of the need for climate action to remain within 1.5°C can be met through ‘nature-based solutions’, such as regenerative agriculture.

 

While regenerative agricultural practices check off most or all of our environmental criteria here at The Sustainable Angle (see more here), preserving and restoring biodiversity is a critical imperative as it underpins life and society. Read more below about biodiversity, one of the key criteria we use to assess our suppliers operations and materials:

 

 

 

SOIL HEALTH: THE SOLUTION

 

The atmosphere has always traded carbon with the soil. The biogeochemical cycle shown below (adapted from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) is part of earth’s natural cycle.

 

 

 

However, since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has been releasing disproportionate amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. The cycle is no longer in harmony, and the carbon trapped in the atmosphere is now warming the planet. Intensive farming practices have led to huge areas of barren land that are now unable to effectively absorb carbon.

 

Through its use of agricultural raw materials, the fashion industry and its supply chains are directly linked to the degradation of soil, conversion of natural ecosystems and biodiversity loss. Recent farming practices have seen crops continually growing in intensive monocultural systems, heavily dependent upon chemical fertilizers, leading to chemical pollution, nutrient imbalances in soil, loss of water cycling, poor carbon retention and, ultimately, land deterioration and degradation. Soils host a quarter of our earth’s biodiversity — if we continue to degrade the soil at the current rate, the world will run out of topsoil in 60 years. (FAO)

 

“If we converted all global croplands and pastures to regenerative organic agriculture we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions.” – Rodale Institute

 

Healthy rich, nutrient-dense soil sequesters carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. When plants photosynthesize, they capture carbon in the air and draw it back into the earth, where it becomes food for microorganisms and mycelia, keeping the carbon cycle in balance. In regenerative agriculture, animals are integrated into the ecosystem and mimic wild grazing patterns in way that mitigates damage to land caused by overgrazing, switching between grazing and resting periods.  

 

 

 

 

The Regenerative Agriculture installation at the Expo created an informative, and immersive experience, showcasing best-practice textiles and leathers that were produced using regenerative farming principles from all around the world: regenerative silks ; reinvented classic fibres such as wools certified by the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and mohair certified by Mohair South Africa (MSA), and regenerative cottons; forgotten plant fibres such as linen, hemp, ramie and nettle; wild animal fibres such as yak, alpaca and wild silks.

 

Sourcing natural fibres produced using regenerative agriculture principles can build soil, enhance biodiversity both above and below ground, leveraging the power of plants to keep carbon in the soil and increasing the capacity of soils to hold water.

 

“Fashion is so intrinsically linked to agriculture, land and forests – it is now time to ask how we can give back. There is a real shift happening, fashion is a bit late to the party, but it has an incredible role to play in this next decade of change.” – Dr. Helen Crowley, Liu-walton Fellow & Senior Advisor Resilient Supply Chains, Conservation International

 

“Regenerate and Restore: how fashion can have a positive impact with nature based solutions” was the topic of focus in one of the Expo’s panel discussions, as part of our seminar series in partnership with Parley for the Oceans. Moderated by renowned journalist Clare Press and featuring  Dr. Helen Crowley, Representative of Conservation International, Sheila Cooke, leader of the 3LM Savory Network, and Tommaso Rulli, owner of MTI USA. The panel discussed and highlighted the integral importance of regenerative agricultural principles in the fashion supply chain. Watch the panel discussion here:

 

 

 

 

CHANGE NOW CONFERENCE, PARIS

In tandem with our Regenerative Agriculture installation at our 9^th Future Fabrics Expo, we also presented a curated selection of our of best practice regenerative materials at the CHANGE NOW International Summit for Change at the Grand Palais in Paris.

 

 

 

 

BRANDS: POSITIVE ACTION CASE STUDIES

As a first in fashion and Luxury, Kering became a Frontier Founder under Savory’s Land to Market™ programme to advocate verified regenerative sourcing solutions and expand the framework of sustainable sourcing in fashion’s global supply chains. This will provide the Group with a solution that includes key raw materials with verified positive environmental and social benefits and traceability back to the farm.

 

US designer Eileen Fisher has also spoken about her new passion for regenerative farming in a recent Vogue interview;

 

“I love this [topic] because this is one of the places where we can make a positive impact, rather than just pollute less or do less harm, we can actually revive the earth through the process of making clothes.”

 

Outdoor clothing company North Face have teamed up with Fibershed to produce wool using regenerative farming methods. The land is managed correctly with appropriate cover crops and managed grazing, this grazing and the animals manure actually assists the land in regenerating and becoming a much more effective carbon sink.

 

Visionary brand Patagonia has put together a roadmap of certifications and initiatives which have incorporated their Regenerative Organic Certification requirements. The company is well known for spearheading organic cotton in the early ’90s and has just released its first collection of T-shirts made from regenerative organic cotton from farms in India.

 

 

“Agriculture really represents the best chance that we have of mitigating and ending the climate crisis. The science is saying that if we converted all industrialized agriculture to regenerative, organic practices, we could sequester all the world’s carbon.” – Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario

 

 

 

LEARN MORE

Explore the definitions surrounding regenerative agriculture, learn about indicators of soil health and the positive impact on climate – visit www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com and click on ‘Learn More’ for further information. 

 

 

 

 

Colour and bold prints are quintessential to the fashion experience for many. They can be linked closely to identity and personality, though to achieve these bold colours, harsh chemistry is still widely used. According to a report from The World Bank, an estimated 17-20% of industrial water pollution comes solely from textile dyeing and fabric finishing treatments.  This highlights the imperative that phasing out harmful chemicals is crucial to reducing the overall impact of our industry.

 

House of U, a digital textile printing company based in the Netherlands, have been working to tackle their chemical, water, and energy impacts, next to offering a wide range of sustainable materials to print on. The print house helps clients achieve rich and deep colours by using certified inks on a wide range of beautiful sustainable fabrics. They have, for example, GRS-certified recycled polyester, organic cottons, and lyocell fibres in their selection. With an online platform and digital colour management, House of U offers designers creative freedom to complete their high-quality prints.

 

1. Can you provide a brief outline of your services, and what key aspects make them more sustainable than a conventional print houses?

 

House of U is a digital Textile Printing House with a strong focus on product development and sustainable Fabrics which are offered via an online platform. The key sustainability aspects within House of U are the seen through the Printing Process, the Fabric Portfolio and our online platform at www.houseofu.com.

We work with 100% Digital Printing, have an optimised finishing process with minimum water consumption throughout, and we develop new sustainable fabrics every year. Our customers can upload their designs online, pick the fabric of their choice and order without any minimum order quantity – from just 1 meter per fabric.

 

2. Can you tell us more about your certified, low impact printing process?

 

The company’s processes and methods consist of pre-treatment, printing, and the finishing of the materials. Our digital printing method reduces water consumption by 70%, in comparison to screen printing. All inks used in the printing process of natural fibres (such as for example organic cotton linen or TENCEL™ Lyocell) are GOTS certified, water-based inks. This applies to all chemistry we use in the pretreatment of the fabrics (coating) and in the post treatment (after printing) and meets following standards:

 

1. Bluesign®
2. STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®
3. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

 

We aim for our whole print system to be entirely GOTS certified by 2021.

 

Regarding our recycled synthetic materials, our GOTS certificate does not apply since we are not printing on organic fibres and we are using sublimation printing. We have therefore carefully chosen a reliable partner that carries the ECO Oeko-Tex Passport Certification.  

 

Additionally, we are currently investing in efficient machinery to salvage water, and we are aiming to decrease carbon emissions by investing in new washing & finishing technologies. 

 

 

3. How can fashion have a positive impact on nature and communities?

We are committed to contributing a positive impact on nature and communities through the digital printing process of our inks and our fabrics by using organic cotton, certified recycled polyester fabrics, as well as fabrics with Lenzing™ ECOVERO™ branded viscose fibres and TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres. Additionally, we also provide a service where there is no minimum order quantity, which helps to lower the environmental impact of fabric waste. 

 

4. What are your goals and plans moving forward?

Our plans on moving forward are to expand our online platform through to the European market and stock more sustainable fabrics for our customers for every season. Additionally, we aim to optimize our print house to make all of our processes more sustainable. Taking all of this into account, we believe that we can contribute to a better world for fashion.  

 

Discover House of U on the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo. 

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledging that natural resources are finite and recognising their own environmental impact as a company, Hong Kong based High Fashion Group has been taking steps to building a sustainable supply chain for textile production: from sourcing sustainable fibres, to following stringent chemical regulations, to building environmental facilities.

One of their divisions, Advance Textile, is a textile and garment manufacturer that has been specialising in silk for over 40 years, covering raw material procurement, spinning, weaving, dyeing, printing and manufacturing.

We are excited to welcome High Fashion Group’s Advance Textile as a new addition to the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo showcase, particularly during the launch of our Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo LIVE this past week from 1-8 July. In recognition of our new addition, we’ve listed four ways in which High Fashion Group is taking action to produce sustainably. (And as another added bonus: High Fashion Group’s gender employment is equal, with the ratio of female to male in management at about 6:4.)

 

1. Material Choices with a Low Environmental Impact

High Fashion Group sources fibres with a low environmental impact for production, such as Lenzing TENCEL™ fibres (from sustainable sourced wood cellulose), ECOVERO™ fibres (certified by EU Ecolabel), REFIBRA™ technology (which involves upcycling cotton scraps and recycling lyocell fibres), linen, and sustainable silks.  

“An increasing number of materials will be replaced by more sustainable yarns such as those from Lenzing Group, Naia, and other bio-based yarns,” says High Fashion. “For example, TENCEL™ has the flexibility to develop into different kinds of yarns for various garments. We think TENCEL™ might gradually replace polyester, nylon, and a portion of cotton. As a result, we’ve developed a fashion sportswear collection that combined both silk and TENCEL™ to give the sportswear market a new alternative to petroleum-based fabrics.”

 

2. Effective Environmental Management

Since 2008, High Fashion has been regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy. Every year, they invest in their facilities to transition to more environmental systems of production, such as solar energy, wastewater treatment, waste gas treatment, and energy-saving machines. The company is investing further into renovating their current solar power system, with the goal to power 26% of their factory with it by the end of this year (versus current 11%).

The solar power system is also used to heat up water for production use. Up to 50% of wastewater can be filtered and reused for production, and controlled VOC is used for the treatment of waste gas.

High Fashion Group is certified with management certification systems such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001.

 

 

3. Safe Chemicals in Production

High Fashion Group is the first and the only silk manufacturer since 2018 that has been certified OEKO-TEX Made in Green, which requires both OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and STeP certifications. The MADE IN GREEN label is a more complex certification to achieve, because it combines both OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and STeP certifications. The label gives customers the certainty of knowing that the product is made with materials that have been tested for harmful substances (as covered by Standard 100); in environmentally friendly facilities and in safe and socially responsible workplaces (as covered by STeP).

Fabric finishings and dyes can contain harmful chemicals such as azo dyes, formaldehyde, nickel and more, and the origins of chemicals are further obscured when supply chains are not traceable or transparent. EU REACH regulations (which OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 also covers) require that companies who produce products in the EU must meet one of the strictest chemical regulations around the world. Therefore companies outside the EU, such as High Fashion Group, that certify against standards with EU REACH regulations as part of its program, meet comparatively higher levels of testing that are safer for the environment and people.  The OEKO-TEX® laboratory tests include around 100 test parameters and take into account the intended use of the textiles. The more intensive the skin contact of a textile product, the stricter the limit values for each product class.

STeP, a program by OEKO-TEX®, differs from other certification systems because it assesses production conditions instead of only individual sustainability aspects.  STeP analyses all important areas of a company using 6 modules: chemical management; environmental performance; environmental management; social responsibility; quality management; health protection and safety at work.

High Fashion Group also became a bluesign® partner in June 2020. While other standards certify end products based on sample tests without observing the chemicals used in manufacturing, the bluesign® system for textile suppliers aims to reduce the industry’s impacts on the environment and people through Input Stream Management, eliminating environmentally damaging substances from the beginning of the process. High Fashion Group is working towards being bluesign® approved by the end of the year.

 

Further to the company’s own strict standards for chemicals, High Fashion also applies a dyeing process to their fabrics that reduces water consumption by four times.

 

 

4. On Mulberry Tree Farming for Sericulture

 

Sustainably cultivated silk can be a carbon mitigation fabric compared to others in the industry.  The Bombyx Mori moth, which produces the silk fibre, feeds exclusively on mulberry tree leaves — the higher the quality and fresher the leaves, the higher the quality of the silk fibre.

 

Cultivating mulberry trees in a balanced ecological system increases yields per land used, provides environmental and economic benefits, and restores and regenerates the soil. Mulberry trees also grow well on ‘marginal land’, and their deep roots can prevent soil erosion. The mulberry tree is one of the fastest-growing trees while absorbing carbon dioxide in the process. According to a research of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science, a field of mulberry trees mitigates CO₂ equivalents 735 times the weight of the produced silk fibre of that area.

 

Agroforestry projects involving organic cultivation of mulberry trees allow for companion planting of other crops (such as food) alongside the trees, also known as “intercropping”, providing more subsistence income to the farmers involved.

At High Fashion, original mulberry leaves are used as a colour dye in garment production, and the natural fibres of silk waste are biodegradable, which can be composted and serve as nutritious feed to Mulberry trees, closing the loop on silk production.

To ensure that the carbon footprint of silk production is sustainable across the supply chain beyond the mulberry trees, High Fashion has built their own production ecosystem on the same campus, which includes weaving, printing & dyeing, garment manufacturing factories, and production bases.

 

Enjoyed this article? Discover High Fashion on the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo

 

Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo LIVE, 1st – 8th July 2020, hosted a curated week of online events and material resources dedicated to sustainable materials sourcing solutions.

We contextualised the materials showcased on our Future Fabrics Virtual Expo website with informative educational content and insights from industry experts via live panel discussions, spotlighting the latest innovations around circular fashion, recycling technologies, and regenerative agriculture.

On 6th July, we also joined forces with NEONYT Berlin, who curated a group of industry experts, designers, and change makers for a special content partnership. The Sustainable Angle and NEONYT are aligned in the same mission to bring together change in the fashion industry, through collaboration, educational content and showcasing sustainable solutions.

 

FUTURE FABRICS VIRTUAL EXPO LIVE SCHEDULE, 1 – 8 JULY, 2020:

 

Guests were able to tune in to all sessions live on our social media platforms Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

 

 

  .   

 

 

 

 

EVENT DETAILS:

 

Future Fabrics VIRTUAL Expo LIVE

Date: 1^st– 8^th July, 2020.

Twitter: @Sustainable_Ang | Instagram: @thesustainableangle | Facebook: @TheSustainableAngle

 

 

Our current global textile fibre demand is lacking in diversity and dominated by two unsustainable raw materials: conventionally grown cotton and non- renewable fossil fuel based synthetics. Cotton accounts for almost a quarter of that demand, (with only around 1% of world demand currently organically farmed). Non- renewable petrochemical based synthetics account for two-thirds of global fibre demand. The environmental impacts of these two raw materials alone are catastrophic, and well-documented.

 

To move away from our reliance upon these two main fibre sources, we need to urgently rethink our relationship with the resources that provide our material needs, and actively engage in positive sourcing and practices that diversify our fibre basket and limit and tackle waste streams intelligently.

 

Each raw material source and processing chain has its own set of considerations and issues when identifying preferred fibres and sourcing best practice suppliers in specific fibre categories. Limiting the fashion industry’s reliance upon virgin materials sources can help reduce many of the impacts associated with our industry. By using different species of plants and animals for our raw material needs, and with careful regional consideration, fashion can avoid the over-exploitation of our resources and contribute to restoring biodiversity. In fact, fashion can benefit creatively from the sustainable and responsible use of nature’s existing diversity and balance.

 

 

 

Choosing operations that use processing innovations and take a responsible position on how we balance and manage our precious resources can help sustain our planetary boundaries. Headquartered in Spain and with factories in Italy, Spain and Portugal, PYRATES is a R&D company and textile supplier who offers a diversified portfolio of fibres and has recently joined our Future Fabrics Expo. PYRATES specialises in the manufacture of PYRATEX®, a collection of luxury knitted fabrics made from organic, upcycled, or biodegradable fibres which consume less water, energy or CO2 during the production process. Depending on their fibre content, blends and/or treatments, PYRATEX® collections are categorised under various categories such as “PYRATEX® health”, “PYRATEX® freshness”, “PYRATEX® cosmetic”, “PYRATEX® bio”, and “PYRATEX® upcycled”. All PYRATEX® fabrics are manufactured in Europe, in order to manage a fully traceable supply chain.

 

PYRATEX® lowers their environmental impact by selecting sustainable fibres and creating innovative blends.  For example, in the PYRATEX® bio and upcycled categories, TENCEL® fibers with REFIBRA® technology are also used in blends. REFIBRA® is a process created by Lenzing Group that mixes pulp containing cotton scraps left over from cutting operations and wood, into the lyocell production process.  GOTS certified organic cotton is also often used, which reduces fertiliser emissions, energy use, and requires less irrigation, therefore sustaining soil health and human health, by avoiding toxic chemicals.  Recycled PET bottles are also seen in the “upcycled” category.

 

 

 

PYRATES’ innovative research can also be seen in the unique treatments of their fabrics. Fabrics are finished with vapour rather than chemicals, which means active components are embedded into the fabric rather than injected or added, therefore preserving their properties. For example, the PYRATEX® cosmetic category features fabrics that are gentle for the skin and anti-irritating.  Seacell fibres (a USDA certified bio based that contains seaweed with anti-irritation properties) are blended with GOTS certified organic cotton (which are free from chemical pesticides) or Standard 100 Oeko-Tex Certified TENCEL® fibres. 

 

PYRATEX® fabrics comply with EU REACH regulations, which are adopted by companies to improve the protection of human health and the environment from risks posed by chemicals. The PYRATES factory based in Italy also has its own Tessile e Salute certification which deals with toxicology in Textile and Fashion sectors by monitoring and evaluating the various phases of the entire production chain. It is clear that Pyrates has a strong focus when it comes to lowering the chemical impact in the fashion industry. 

 

By reducing water pollution, eliminating dumping and minimising the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, as well as increasing recycling and safe reuse within their fabric production process, PYRATES is committed to improving water quality and tackling Goal 6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Clean Water and Sanitation, as well as Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

“The fashion industry needs a radical change. We believe the most pressing environmental and social challenge we are facing in the industry is climate change,” says PYRATES. “We want to contribute to advancing the functionality of textiles to suit our current needs while using natural, recycled or biodegradable fibers, and more sustainable techniques.”

PYRATES have developed a formula so that they can scale the fabrics into commercially viable materials which can be easily integrated into any brand’s collections. 

 

 

 

When asked what their goals and plans are moving forward, PYRATES says, “We are continuously working towards advancing our fabrics through our R&D, and our main goal is to ensure that our fabric range is ethical, which is why we only launched the production of material that our client requires, and sell our in-stock fabrics from just 1m, to avoid creating any unnecessary waste. We also offer our clients the option of working with natural dyes, which are a more sustainable alternative to reactive dyes, and are constantly researching innovative, eco-friendlier alternatives, such as substituting the elastane in some of our more sportswear-focused fabrics with recycled elastane.”

 

 

Discover PYRATEX® on the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo, which will be free to access between 1^st July-8^th July during Future Fabrics Virtual Expo LIVE week. 

 

Catch our conversation with PYRATES on 2^nd July, 2020, 3:00 PM BST on Instagram LIVE.  For more events, register here. 

 

 

In an increasingly volatile environment since the start of the year, the fashion industry is currently facing the greatest challenge of rebuilding a supply chain heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many forward-thinking companies, however, it also means new and urgent opportunities to integrate sustainability principles and actions that protect the people and environments impacted in the short-term, while working towards a more sustainable future in the long-term by accelerating innovative technologies and strategies.

 

Outside their own operations, companies are also facing a severe shift in consumer habits: “Two thirds of consumers state that sustainability has become a more important priority to combat climate change following COVID-19.” (McKinsey post COVID-19 consumer survey, from CEO Agenda 2020 Covid 19 Edition).

 

“Fashion players must harness these innovations and scale up those that work in order to make radical and enduring changes to their organizations — and to the wider industry — after the dust settles.” The State of Fashion, 2020 — Coronavirus update, and McKinsey report

 

Investing in innovative production technologies is one important way to support a sustainable business model. BOSSA, a core exhibitor mill at the Future Fabrics Expo for two years in a row, has been developing innovative manufacturing processes that focus on energy efficiency, water conservation, and textile recycling for the denim industry.

 

Bossa’s visionary approach also includes investment in a blockchain technology that benefits their own internal mapping along the value chain, and enables transparency for the consumer. The technology, called D- CHRONICLES, has been created in partnership with FIBRETRACE, featuring a smart label inside the garment that means the consumer can track and trace every step of the supply chain with their smart phone, from the raw material, right through to the finished garment. With this new blockchain technology, all actors within Bossa’s supply chain can be accountable for the information that is committed to the chain of custody, and the consumer experiences an enlightening connection to the entire product journey.

 

BOSSA has also made further advancements on their SAVEBLU+ concept, which is a new way of salvaging and reclaiming wastewater within their supply chain during the dyeing and finishing processes. The warp-dyeing process does not use caustic chemicals and saves 85% of water in comparison to conventional dyeing.

 

We spoke to BOSSA about their vision on what a post-pandemic world will entail and what their goals and plans will be moving forward.

 

BOSSA: We know that the situation caused by COVID 19 is affecting everyone around the world. We want to ensure that people within the industry: from consumers to factory workers know that we are trying to play a big role in this situation, more than ever before. This means continuing to develop our materials within our collection that will help enable the protection and preservation of the environment. 

 

At the start of our establishment, BOSSA adopted the three major R’s in our policies: recycle, reduce, and re-use, which aims to prevent waste and conserve natural resources. These systems will continue to help maintain critical impacts on the environment and will sustain a system where natural resources are renewed and waste will never be accumulated. At BOSSA, we are continuing to push boundaries, and are currently developing a zero-waste, closed-loop life cycle within our manufacturing facility.

 

In our last interview together, Bossa had just released post-consumer recycled denim (PCRD) blends.  Have brands picked up on this trend?

 

BOSSA: We have different projects with our PCRD production with multiple brands like Nudie, Kuyichi, Mango, etc. You can watch our videos from our YouTube channel about this project and production process: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkYEajTg2Ag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfuGwcEYl80&t=17s

 

How do you think fashion can have a positive impact on nature and communities?

 

BOSSA: Fashion is a complicated industry that involves long and varied supply chains: from raw material, textile manufacture, clothing construction, shipping, retail, use, to the disposal of the garment.

 

At BOSSA, we lead one of the largest textile mills in Turkey, and have been actively involved in the protection and preservation of the environment since our establishment. The rapid rise of conventional cotton has had a significant impact, causing ecological and environmental damage. The rising awareness of this irreversible damage has provoked mills and manufacturers to actively play their roles to try and revert this.

 

BOSSA R&D department has done a lot of work to produce first-class yarn. Since the beginning of this year, BOSSA has started to use all of our textile offcuts in our manufacturing. This will lead us towards a zero-waste policy, which will hopefully inspire other stakeholders in the denim industry to adopt these practices within their supply chain.

 

 

Look inside your wardrobe and you will most likely find at least one shirt or dress made from viscose (also known as rayon). This fibre category are referred to as regenerated cellulosics, or man- made cellulosic fibres (MMC’s), and they are the second most important group of cellulose based fibres after cotton, with an average demand of 5-6 million tons annually.

 

Viscose is derived from cellulose that is mainly sourced from hardwood forests and plantations (usually wood or bamboo). The hardwood cellulose is then transformed by dissolving wood pulp, which is then transformed into either viscose filament yarns or staple fibres. Since the chemical structure is based on cellulose just as in cotton, there are many similarities in the comfort properties of viscose, making it a popular choice of fibre amongst fashion labels.

 

 

The feedstock for viscose is wood, and healthy forests play a critical role in slowing down climate change because they soak up carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, only 68% of the Earth’s forests that existed before the industrial revolution remain. Tropical forests have a significant effect on biodiversity as they house more than half of the world’s terrestrial species (UN IPBES Report, 2019).  Canopy Planet organisation estimates that currently 120 million trees are cut down every year for viscose production.

 

A best practice cellulosic fibre is one that is sourced from responsible producers and verified as low risk of being sourced from ancient and endangered forests, including certified feedstock or alternative feedstock, and one that is processed and manufactured more sustainably. This means limiting toxic chemicals, and that the manufacturing technologies aim for high recovery rates where water and chemicals are re-cycled and re-used in a closed loop process. This closed loop process is called LYOCELL fibre.

 

Image Credit: Sézane © FSC France

 

Lyocell processed fibres are produced by an increasing number of suppliers, including the Lenzing Group, which produces TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres.

Lenzing has been focusing on sourcing renewable wood feedstock for more than 20 years, and mainly relies on the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification system whenever possible. In Europe with its strict forest regulations, Close to 100 percent of the wood and pulp used by the Lenzing Group is already certified by FSC® standards, or is controlled in line with these standards.

We were excited to interview the Forest Stewardship Council, the organisation behind the well-recognised FSC logo which guarantees that the wood used in a product is derived from responsibly managed forests. For the last 25 years, the FSC certification has been helping consumers and business owners identify products that have not been manufactured at the expense of the forest, or the animals, plants and people who rely on it. 

 

We asked FSC to help us deep dive into the topics of deforestation and sustainable forest management solutions, and to demystify the labelling process around the well-recognised logo to ensure transparency.  

 

Why is FSC certification relevant to the fashion industry and what materials can be certified by FSC?

 

Businesses and consumers alike are becoming increasingly conscious of environmental issues such as climate change and deforestation. In response to this, demand for sustainable, responsible products is growing, and many consumers expect information about sustainability to be certified by an independent organisation. The Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) is the world’s most trusted sustainable forest management solution, endorsed by environmental NGOs including WWF and The Woodland Trust.

 

Cellulose fibres are becoming more popular, and their use is expected to increase. Forest-based textiles such as rayon, viscose, modal or lyocell can be a more sustainable alternative to synthetic materials such as nylon or polyester. However, they can sometimes contribute to deforestation and habitat loss. FSC certification guarantees that materials came from forests managed with consideration for people, wildlife, and the environment.

 

For the fashion industry, certification is not limited to textiles. Forest-based materials used for packaging, clothing tags, catalogues, and bags can also be FSC certified, which is good for forests and business, as 88% of UK customers want on-pack information on packaging sustainability. Not only that, but non-timber forest products, such as cork and natural rubber can also be sourced with FSC certification.

 

Why is it so important to use wood from sustainably managed forests?

 

The UN estimates that around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods, including 70 million Indigenous Peoples. Using wood from FSC-certified forests helps to ensure that forest workers earn a fair wage and experience safe working conditions. FSC certification also ensures that Indigenous Peoples are consulted in forest management, and cultural rights and sacred sites are protected. Forest managers often support the community further by building schools and hospitals.

 

Forests play an essential role in the battle against climate change by removing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. FSC certification requires that all trees harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally. Sustainable forest management can help to maintain, or restore, the carbon sequestration function of a forest.  

 

Does FSC certification take biodiversity into consideration?

 

Forests provide precious habitat for more than 80% of all terrestrial animals, plants, and insects. FSC’s mission is to ‘promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.’ To be environmentally appropriate, forest management must ensure that the forest’s biodiversity is maintained. High conservation value areas including old growth forests must also be protected.  

 

For example, Gabon’s rainforest is home to unique wildlife, including the small and shy forest elephant. After logging in this forest, Compagnie Equatoriale des Bois (FSC^®C002359) closed off the harvested area for 25 years to allow it to regenerate so that wildlife can continue to thrive. In addition, they keep the elephants’ habitat a secret to protect them from poachers, and part of their forest management includes monitoring the wildlife and looking out for signs of poaching.

 

What parts of the supply chain does FSC cover?

 

Products are checked at every stage of the supply chain, from forest to consumer, so that customers can be confident that FSC-labelled products are genuinely certified. For a product to feature the FSC label or be sold with an FSC claim, any company involved in the processing or transformation of the product must be FSC-certified. Looking at the fashion supply chain this also includes brands selling the final product.

 

 

Can brands and retailers use the FSC trademarks to promote their certified products on a garment on a shop floor?

 

To use the FSC trademarks to promote FSC-certified products, brands and retailers must hold either Chain of Custody certification, or a Promotional Trademark Licence.

 

Brands and retailers who buy finished, FSC-labelled products from an FSC-certified company and sell these on, unchanged, may apply for a Promotional Trademark Licence. This enables them to use the FSC trademarks to promote these products.

 

If the brand or retailer is involved in the processing or transformation of FSC-certified products (e.g. manufacturing, repackaging, pack-splitting,

relabelling, cutting to size or adding other forest-based materials to the product) they must hold Chain of Custody certification in order to apply an FSC label to their products and/or sell them with an FSC claim.

 

How can a brand ensure FSC-certified feed stock was used for the textiles, is there a licence number which can be checked?

 

All FSC chain of custody certificate holders are issued with both an FSC licence number (beginning with FSC-C followed by 6 digits ) and a certificate number (beginning with their certification body code e.g. NC or INT etc, followed by 6 digits). All certificate holders are included in the public database at https://info.fsc.org/, where the scope of their certification can be found. Many certificate holders sell both certified and uncertified products, so it is important to specify FSC when placing your order. For finished products, such as garments, you can also request that the certificate holder apply the FSC label. Whether labelled or not, the evidence that FSC-certified materials have been supplied is provided by the invoice you receive for them. This invoice should clearly indicate which items are FSC certified, the FSC claim associated with them and include the supplier’s FSC certificate number.

 

A free webinar explaining how to use the FSC certificate database can be found here.

 

 

What are your upcoming plans/campaigns to raise awareness about FSC?

 

We are currently working on a new brochure FSC in Fashion to be released in September. This is the latest in a series of brochures for different sectors, following on from FSC in Print, FSC Packaging and FSC for Furniture. It will bring together advice and information for those working in the fashion industry or specifying FSC-certified textiles. To ensure you receive this brochure upon release, and to keep up with the latest developments from FSC UK, sign up to our monthly Forest Matters newsletter here.

 

 

To find out more about the Forest Stewardship Council, visit their website https://www.fsc-uk.org/en-uk

 

 

 

At last, change is coming – or at the very least its message is getting louder!  

But is that message being heard, and more importantly, is its impact being felt in action?  It appears that with each passing day the fashion industry is feeling the pressure and is realising that ‘business as usual’ is no longer an option. 

As another packed September fashion month comes to a close, with shows across the globe in NYC, London, Milan, and Paris, the air is buzzing with disparity.  In contrast to the usual trend-hungry anticipation, creative exuberance and “parade of excess” that Fashion Week is often celebrated for, the mood in London was instead tempered by activist group Extinction Rebellion– who were calling for an end to London Fashion Week as we know it entirely.

 

The growing activist group followed through with several peaceful and powerful protests throughout the week, which ranged from ‘die-ins’ to a beautifully theatrical funeral procession that laid fashion week to rest in a pair of coffins (the latter performance created an undeniable presence and much media attention in the process). 

The Extinction Rebellion made an urgent and heartfelt plea prior to this fashion week:

“The UN Secretary-General has warned us that humanity faces a ‘direct existential threat’ if we do not change course by 2020. We are now LESS THAN ONE FASHION SEASON away from that date and the radical action needed to avoid runaway climate and ecological breakdown has not yet begun. We cannot rely on politicians. We need culture to lead the way….”

On the 26th of July 2019 at 5.15 pm, Extinction Rebellion sent a letter to the British Fashion Council. 

“In recognition of the existential threat that faces us, we ask the British Fashion Council to be the leaders the world needs now and to cancel London Fashion Week. We ask that instead, the industry convene a People’s Assembly of industry professionals and designers as a platform to declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency, to face the truth and to take action.” 

The British Fashion Council agreed, stating that “we are facing a climate change emergency, and all need to act.”

The BFC’s largest ‘Positive Fashion’ showcase shows that their sustainability vision is strengthening. For example, this includes supporting and highlighting the exemplary work of progressive responsible designers such as Phoebe English, or designer activists duo Vin + Omi. However, this positive message also needs to permeate the breadth of London Fashion Week much more.  As Safia Minney, pioneer and founder of fair-trade clothing company People Tree, stated, ‘I’m calling on London Fashion Week to have the strength and courage to change everything it does.’

Earlier this year the British Fashion Council launched their Institute of Positive Fashion:

“Through the Institute of Positive Fashion, the BFC aims to create an industry blueprint by bringing together expertise from different areas to help brands in the industry navigate an often confusing to understand topic and kick-start a much-needed comprehensive step-change. Informed by research, expert opinion, industry insights and the significant industry experience of individual businesses and organisations, the power of collective effort will amplify independent activity.”

There are clearly several multidimensional, industry-wide initiatives taking place to challenge the fashion industry to change radically.  Although fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, it also holds huge potential for solutions to the urgent climate crisis. 

However, the bold, systemic changes necessary to impel significant shifts are slow in coming, as these challenge the very economic models that feed most of the fashion consumption model.  Fashion should be a cultural signifier of our times, yet the industry still adheres to an archaic system where seasonal collections are relentlessly produced from new materials, creating pressure on our planet’s resources and the people who make our clothes.

Throughout London Fashion Week, we took stock of some of the solutions proposed and examined how some London designers are pushing the boundaries of fashion and design, placing sustainability at the core of their brand ethos and operations…many have come through our doors to source materials for their collections: 

 

Phoebe English

Phoebe English SS20 Fashion In Times Of Emergency⁠ was a presentation of stunning creations made of reclaimed, recycled, and certified materials.  Her open source approach to sustainability is endlessly admirable – throughout the presentation she shared her process and supplier contacts, acknowledging that true change will only happen if we are able to collaborate. ⁠⠀

Her brand is entirely made in London, England. Each piece is created with close attention to detail and quality, rejecting mass-production or ‘fast’ fashion. The journey from a sketch to a garment is limited to ca. 10-15 mile radius and the entire business operates from one studio in South London. ⁠⠀

Keeping producer responsibility at the forefront of all design decisions and thinking about the product’s impact from the beginning, middle to end-use are all key…and Phoebe excels at it!

Patrick McDowell

Patrick McDowell is a creative systems thinker and designer and a force to be reckoned with. We had the privilege of spotlighting Patrick’s work at our last Expo back in January 2019. Since then, Patrick has continued to gain attention by combining his colourful and humorous personal expression with sustainable principles. The label has taken part in incredible collaborations with Swarovski and Depop, and they’ve also reclaimed deadstock materials from brands such as Burberry…proving that sustainability is anything but beige.    

Felder Felder

Felder Felder’s twin sister design duo ensure that each piece for the label stands for a story.  This season you’ll see GOTS organic cotton from Modespitze featured in their Nightshade dress, and striped recycled velvet made from organic cotton by mill Lebenskleidung in their Bohemian Dream collection.  Dreamy indeed!

Hanna Fiedler

Hanna Fiedler works with a small-scale network of manufacturers across the UK. Fielder applies traditional tailoring methods and a minimalist aesthetic to create high-quality garments whilst supporting local British craftsmanship.  In her SS20 Collection, Sommerfrische, Hanna sourced luxurious sustainable solutions from mills showcased at the Future Fabrics Expo, such as Haussaman and Moos, Shokay, and [coming soon] made-to-order small quantity silks from Seidentraum.  If you take a peek inside her beautifully crafted jackets and coats, you’ll see a barcode from Dormeuil which utilises BlockchainOrganica tech (by Chargeurs) to communicate their fully transparent supply chain journey to the consumer.  

Azura Lovisa 

With an aim to create slow fashion rooted in storytelling, Azura Lovisa focuses on the relationship between the female form and materiality. Bast fibres such as ramie, cotton-hemp, hemp-linen, and pure linen from Anthyia and Bysshe were all featured in her latest collection. 

 

BRANDS WE ADMIRE

Vin&Omi 

Thousands of nettles were gathered from HRH Pince Charles’ Highgrove estate and transformed into textiles for Vin + Omi’s latest collection.  Although the use of nettle for textiles dates back two thousand years, it has been largely forgotten in modern times, as its production has not been commercially scaled yet. For SS20, Vin&Omi developed two new innovative ways to process the fibre⁠.  ⁠Their signature sense of urgency permeated throughout the collection, evoking an experience that feels appropriately timely during this moment. 

⁠Vin&Omi’s LFW collection puts nettle back into the spotlight and shows the fashion industry an alternative way forward.⁠ Currently over 60% of materials used in fashion are petroleum-based (polyester, acrylic, nylon).  However, nettle is a cellulose fibre that is a sustainable alternative: it grows abundantly in our climate and does not need synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or irrigation. Vin&Omi’s innovative approach to materials further emphasises how brands can diversify their fibre basket in order to challenge fashion’s heavy environmental footprint on raw materials.

 ⁠⁠

NEW DESIGNERS TO WATCH

Alisa Ruzavina

Alisa Ruzavina is a fashion and textiles designer whose work focuses on creating ways in which clothing and textiles can serve as catalysts for co-design, positive social change and increased care for the environment.  Her sustainability-driven approach is also reflected in the carefully-sourced materials used for her garments, such as discarded and organic sources. Additionally, she works with Oshadi, a fashion and textile brand designed in London and crafted in India, who will be showcased at our 9th Future Fabrics Expo!

Mariah Esa

Mariah Esa is a designer trying to tackle waste within the fast fashion industry.  She utilises manufacturing waste labels from a small local factory to create bespoke textiles.  Her collection uses over 20,000 waste garment labels that would have been thrown away by a fashion manufacturer.  The results are stunning and inherently unique! 

 

PARTNER

BRIA

BRIA/Techstyler is a London-based materials innovation agency aiming to transform the way fashion is designed and manufactured. Their motivation is to drastically reduce textile waste in the supply chain, reduce manufacturing lead times and improve profitability while simultaneously achieving sustainability (for people, processes and planet).  We are excited to announce a partnership with Brooke Roberts-Islam’s Techstyler for the 9th Future Fabrics Expo in January 2020!

 

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT 

Together Band 

Together Band is an initiative by Bottletop which aims to unite us as a global community, sharing commitments to all of the 17 UN Global Goals.  The bands are handmade in Nepal and crafted using innovative and sustainable materials  from upcycled ocean plastic. One kilogram of plastic is removed from marine environments whenever you buy a band.  The clasp is made from decommissioned illegal firearms in the silhouette of an upcycled ring pull, in reference to the BOTTLETOP signature material.

 

How can we all engage with fashion in a different way?

While elements of fashion week still continued like “business as usual” — water was still served in single-use plastic bottles and the frivolity of fashion week was in full swing — there was a tangible shift in focus and the presence of various initiatives aiming to tackle our environmental crisis.  Now it’s on us to continue that drive through to real, actionable change. Reimagine, reinvent, reuse, recreate, rent…and only buy something if you will treasure it forever.

 

 

Throughout June, our schedules have been packed with presenting and moderating at many different conferences, educational workshops, events and talks in London – all these prestigious events were dedicated to sustainability – a clear sign that the fashion industry is finally putting sustainability centre stage where it belongs, and no longer considers it as a ‘trend’, or just a ‘box to be ticked’ in the corporate reports. However, a sense of urgency to act quickly and decisively is still too often lacking..

 

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fran Burns, The Store, 180 Strand

4 June 2019

 

We were honoured to collaborate with Francesca Burns, Fashion Stylist, who invited us to hold a workshop at The Store X for her peers, fellow stylists and friends in the fashion industry.  We valued the opportunity to engage with stylists directly as they are uniquely placed to direct fashion brands towards more sustainable practice. They often take on a role essentially consulting brands, holding the power to engage said brands, asking questions, recommending more sustainable and responsibly produced materials, helping highlight and communicate fashion that has been created responsibly and sustainably.  

Fashion is a key cultural communicator and powerful agent for change that goes beyond simply what we wear.  Stylists are working right at that important stage of connection and communication with brands, holding a unique potential to drive engagement with sustainability. 

 

supported by Lenzing Group, Old Trewman Brewery

2 June – 5 June 2019

 

The Sustainable Angle’s Curator and Educational Consultant – Amanda Johnston –  hosted a daily educational workshop at Graduate Fashion Week’s newly launched “Considered Design Hub”, powered by Farfetch. She presented our “8 to Create” systems thinking framework, explored material innovations such as

Tencel ™ Lyocell using Refibra™ technology by Lenzing Group, and showcased how to exercise creative thinking when working with sustainable materials as per the dozens of Tencel™  fabrics on display.

The “Considered Design Hub” was introduced as a response to the increase in graduates focusing on sustainability and the need for more ethical and sustainable practices within the fashion industry. Graduate Fashion Week is the world’s largest event for BA Fashion talent, featuring 25 catwalk shows and stands, alongside a schedule of talks and workshops from leading industry names. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Stylus Event, County Hall

6 June 2019

 

Decoded Future 2019 had the underlying theme of…  you guessed it! Sustainability.  With the aim of shaping a collective vision of what a more sustainable vision could look like, the conference examined everything from the circular economy to the impacts of technological innovations.  Our Founder and Director Nina Marenzi moderated the panel “Sharing Is Caring: Is The Second-Hand Economy A Shift In The Shoppers Mindset Or Just A Desire For Discounted Designer Products?”   Through questioning and discussion with Katy Lubin, VP communications for Lyst, Sara Arnold, Founder of Higher Studio, and Clara Chappaz, Chief Growth Officer of Vestiaire Collective, the panel discussed the ins and outs of the sharing economy.  With consumers continuing to strive for a more sustainable and collaborative way of living (it’s estimated that by 2023 the second-hand market will be worth $51billionUSD), the panel unpacked whether the key solution lies in innovative rental models.  Seeing as, on average, over 80% of garments are worn less than three times, there is promise in alternative systems which create a variance in our relationship with our clothes, allowing space to experience luxury at a lower cost and higher speed. 

 

organised by CoGo x Google for Startups Campus

11 June 2019

 

During London Tech Week, Google Startups UK and Ethical Living App CoGo hosted an event examining how innovation has the potential to create a sustainable fashion that ‘doesn’t cost the earth.’  Our Founder and Director Nina Marenzi was invited to moderate the panel on how innovation is creating a more sustainable footprint in the clothes and ornaments we wear – from diamonds to sweaters and handbags. Kirsty Emery, Co-Founder of UNMADE, Ben Gleisner, Founder and CEO of CoGo, Laura Chavez, Founder of Lark & Berry, and Leanne Kemp, Founder of Everledger joined together to discuss how each of the panellists’ companies is placing sustainability at the centre of its business.  From using decommissioned fire hoses in creating accessories (Elvis and Kresse), to using blockchain for tracing natural diamonds (Everledger), to on-demand, customisable design (UNMADE), to discussing lab-grown diamonds avoiding potential problems with mining (Lark & Berry), and finally an app connecting conscious consumers to sustainable businesses in their area (CoGo) – sustainability was the key driver for these innovative and tech solutions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

French Chamber of Commerce, Spring Studios

13 June 2019

 

London Luxury Think Tank, a spin-off of French Chamber Great Britain, assembles leaders, pioneers and experts from across the fields of Luxury, Fashion, Technology, Research & Innovation, CSR, Ethics and Sustainability to share ideas, expertise and insights.  It was wonderful to be a part of it again, now for their second edition, at Spring Studios, where the key focus was sustainability.  Our Founder & Director Nina Marenzi was on the panel discussing “What makes a product sustainable & ethical?”  Together with Nicolas Gerlier, CEO of La Bouche Rouge, Sylvie Bénard, Head of Environmental Sustainability at LVMH, and Pierre-Alexandre Bapst, Sustainability Director of Hermès,  on a panel moderated by Brook Roberts-Islam Co-Director of BRIA.  La Bouche Rouge aims to combat harmful plastic pollution of the cosmetics industry by implementing innovative chemical formulation of their purely vegan lipstick which is free of microplastics commonly used in industry, all packaged in a luxurious refillable case.  While Hermès’ approach is to put emphasis on heritage, artisanal skills, promoting high quality and longevity of product life cycle.  This conversation between key industry players highlighted the fact that within sustainability there is often not a singular, simple solution.  There is always a necessity for nuanced, multifaceted, multidisciplinary approaches depending on the ethos of the brand.

 

Jumeirah Carlton Tower

18 June 2019

 

Kicking off with a Keynote by our advisory board member, Arizona Muse, The Telegraph’s Responsible Fashion Forum was a day jam-packed with discussions around transparency, traceability and sustainability across the supply chain. 

Across the board there was a consensus that Environmental and Social Sustainability go hand in hand, the conversations should not be siloed.  This was essential in TSA’s Amanda Johnston’s panel discussion (together with Patsy Perry, Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester, and moderated by Lily Gray, Head of Partnerships, First Mile) where the starting point of discussion was the effects of chemical usage on the environment.  Crucially, it was a question from the audience that highlighted that the true effect of chemical usage is on the people who were not present in that room. 

Water scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of the global population, and more than 80 per cent of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or the sea without any pollution removal (United Nations, 2018).  Most textile processing is heavily concentrated in regions where water quality is already low, putting vulnerable populations at risk.

The perfect finale was hearing from Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Mary Creagh MP: Coincidentally the conference took place on the very day of the disappointing decision by the UK Parliament to reject every recommendation from the Fixing Fashion report proposed last February by said committee. This is directly in contradiction with the announcement the week before when the same government enshrined in law that the UK will have “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  We commend Mary Creagh for her work and tenacity: When asked “What’s next?” by a member of the audience, she urged everyone in the room to keep pushing for sustainable practice because the voice of the consumer is next, together making it impossible for the government not to listen.

As ever, at The Sustainable Angle, we are presenting thousands of innovative sustainable textiles solutions to the fashion industry that are commercially available. We have been researching and gathering these materials since 2010: we are busier than ever filtering through materials that are produced more sustainably and responsibly in order to ensure they really do have a lower environmental impact. They are in our London studio: see them at one of our masterclasses or book a visit to one of our workshops and will, of course, be showcased at the 9th Future Fabrics Expo 29-30th January 2020 – save the date! Early Bird Registration will open soon…

Read more about the Future Fabrics Expo

 

If you work in the denim industry, chances are you’ve heard of Bossa.  Based in Turkey, Bossa has been leading the textile industry in sustainable denim production since the launch of their ecological Re-Set collection back in 2006.

 

Back then, sustainability in fashion was a hush-hush topic behind closed doors, and today it has become one of the biggest buzz words around.  For Bossa however, sustainability is not just a trend — it has always been a principle of practice.    

 

Bossa’s Re-Set Collection was one of the first to prove that a collection of fabrics made entirely from 100% recycled materials was possible, and its environmental impact was even calculated and certified through a Life Cycle Assessment.

 

 

Recycling is an important theme for Bossa as natural resources become increasingly limited.  The company reuses their own textile production waste by turning them into raw material, and also works with fibres obtained from plastic bottles as part of their r-PET project.

 

And what about all the clothing waste that ends up in landfills? Staying true to their vision of sustainable textiles, Bossa also launched “Denim is Reborn in Bossa”, a post-consumer denim recycling (PCRD) concept where old jeans are collected, sent to their partner in Gaizantep, Turkey for shredding, and then fibres are remade into fabrics.  As an idea, about 1000 old jeans can be used to produce 2000 metres of 20% PCRD Blended Fabric. Major brands such as Nudie, Zara, Kuyichi and Marks & Spencer are a few of the brands using fabric from Bossa’s concept. 

 

 

As a growing number of brands are requesting sustainable denim, Bossa has adapted by continually improving their end-to-end production process to reduce environmental impacts. For example, the company uses organic cotton, and natural chemicals and dyestuffs; they conserve energy by 20% through their own on-site cogeneration plant; they save about 85% of the water used in production through their “Saveblue” process.  After all, sustainability requires a holistic view.

 

So what sort of obstacles is the denim industry facing to becoming more sustainable? Most companies would agree that the government plays a vital role, especially when it comes to raising public awareness and enacting laws that benefit businesses who prioritise sustainable practices.  As an example, Bossa suggests that governments could provide tax incentives for garments with a Global Recycled Standard certificate. 

 

If everyone in the supply chain down to the consumer plays a role, fashion can have a positive impact on nature and communities.

 

“Denim starts with cotton, so farmers should prefer more responsible production methods such as organic farming.  Mills should be responsible and transparent. They should use greener denim production methods – such as increasing recycling, decreasing water use — and then report the numbers of their ecological footprint,” says Bossa.  “Brands should appreciate the value of the research that goes behind sustainable production and support it, while customers should be aware of what they are buying and choose more sustainable products in the market.”

 

By doing their part and offering solutions that do not compromise the needs of future generations, Bossa is taking action to address the critical imperative of sustainability while embracing its opportunities. 

 

 

More sustainable initiatives by Bossa:

• To neutralise their wastewater, Bossa uses liquid CO2 instead of sulphuric acid. They are looking into using CO2 directly from their funnels as the next stage.
• “DyeArt”: Bossa has developed a new environmentally-friendly dyeing process for colourful denim fabric.
• “Future Denim”: Set to launch at Denim by PV, this concept will be made up of 100% sustainable fabrics. Fibre and yarn contents include organic cotton, recycled cotton, recycled polyester, eco T400, Refibra™ (recycled TENCEL™), post-consumer recycled denim. All will be dyed with the Saveblue dyeing process.

 

Watch Bossa’s interview at the 8th Future Fabrics Expo:

 

Discover more about Bossa 

 

Interested in exhibiting at the Future Fabrics Expo in 2020? Contact us today info@thesustainableangle.org 

Our 8th Future Fabrics Expo returned last week on 24-25th January 2019 for its most ambitious showcase yet!

 

 

Our biggest-ever edition of the Expo took place in the sleek, 22,000 sq ft venue of Victoria House Basement in central London, and welcomed more than 2500 visitors over the two days. The turnout and engagement truly exceeded our expectations, with a record number of visitors ranging from luxury brands to high street retailers to startups, academics and students.

 

As the largest dedicated showcase of sustainable materials for the fashion and textile industry, the 8^th Future Fabrics Expo featured over 5000 commercially-available fabrics and materials from suppliers who are offering innovative solutions with a low environmental footprint.  For the first time, we showcased a dozen best practice suppliers in their own stand. 

 

 

The two-day event is unique: a curated showcase which displays educational background information alongside thousands of materials. This enables fashion industry professionals to engage with positive and informed decision-making. We provide tools and advise on responsible practices, promoting a diverse material future. Each material in our showcase is individually labelled with sustainability information, as well as its key environmental criteria, which we developed with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion back in 2011.

 

 

As the consumer demand for sustainable products continues to heighten, the fashion supply chain is responding by finding solutions and collaborative opportunities that address the environmental damages caused by our industry.

 

To support this growing conversation, The Sustainable Angle expanded its 8^th expo to showcase the whole sustainability journey, from fibre to garment. This year, we featured 12 best-practice core exhibitors and manufacturers in their own booth, a bigger Innovation Hub that included a collaboration with Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator Programme, an information zone, and a fashion brands space. Our popular seminar series hosted a dozen discussions with 26 speakers to a captive audience of 250!

 

 

The awareness around this year’s 8th Future Fabrics Expo is evident that sustainability is no longer a “trend” or option, but a critical imperative for one of the most polluting industries on the planet.  “This culture has to change. We need to be more curious: read the label, ask questions and research the brand’s sustainability credentials,” says Nina Marenzi, Founder and Director of The Sustainable Angle.

 

Through the resources and activities showcased at the Expo, The Sustainable Angle aims to promote and connect materials suppliers with visionary designers and brands, who realise that fashion can have a positive impact upon nature and communities by working with safe, renewable materials and responsible practices throughout the supply chain.

 

 

See the core exhibitors and sponsors that were shown alongside the curated showcase of 5000 materials:

Lenzing Group with TENCEL™ // Hallotex// Toyoshima // Nova Kaeru // Shokay // Advance Denim // Coccccon Crafts Loom // Beyond Surface Technologies // Mozartex // Comistra // Santoni // Procalcado // Bossa Denim // Organic Textile Company // Lebenskleidung //

Manufacturers: Gaia Sourcing // Supply Compass // Profits Fund // Papillon Bleu //

 

Thank you to all who helped us organise and support this 8^th edition, and a SPECIAL thank you to the kind support of all our wonderful interns and volunteers helping during the last few days leading up to the expo.

 

 

 

Event Highlights:

 

• Our opening event was kicked off with a mesmerising installation by Holition augmented retail in the entrance hall, welcome remarks by Nina Marenzi and a performance by comedian Deborah Frances-White from the popular podcast The Guilty Feminist.
• Our 8 TO CREATE principles for people and planet and fibre timeline set the scene and created the context for discovery.
• A new biodegradability area featured packaging leader Tipa Corp.
• Our new fashion brands spaces were curated by Arizona Muse x RCM Studio and a second one was supported by Lenzing Group.
• Lenzing Group showcased a complete display from raw material to fibre, including a new TENCEL^TM collaboration with US footwear brand Allbirds.
• Hallotex visualised their textile recycling process with an impressive 200kg fabric bale made from 6000 cotton t-shirts.
• A bookshop by Chrome Yellow and a delicious plant-based café by Plates catered to attendees during breaks.
• An information zone at the expo featured GOTS, Fashion Revolution, Retailer standards by Dr. Pamela Ravasio, and a Design Toolkit for the industry.
• Our seminar panels were moderated by Clare Press, presenter of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast and Australian VOGUE’s Sustainability Editor-at-Large, Arizona Muse, model and sustainability campaigner, and Bel Jacobs, ethical fashion journalist and former fashion editor for the Metro.
• We hosted a private evening panel with our partners at the Fabric of Life series, titled ‘Fabrics for a Flourishing Future’, which explored the environmental issues in the complex fashion supply chain, its impact on biodiversity and opportunities opening up through innovation. Guests included Neva Murtha of Canopy Planet, Phil Townsend from M&S, Stacy Flynn of Evrnu, Clare Press, and The Sustainable Angle’s Curator Amanda Johnston.
• To top it off, we held an Impact Investors Breakfast as part of the expo for a select group of invited angel investors, funds and family offices representatives to discover the start-up companies and sustainable materials in our Innovation Hub.

 

Our favourite seminar quotes:

• “Sustainability is not a challenge for us, but a springboard for innovation.” – Adriana Galijasevic, G-Star RAW
• “Not enough different fibres are being used in fashion. Environmental and social issues go together.” – Orsola de Castro, Fashion Revolution, and Claire Bergkamp, Stella McCartney
• “Everything in fashion comes from nature. If fashion can change, all other industries that are tied up in fashion can too…Creativity is the power to act.” – Prof. Dilys Williams, Centre for Sustainable Fashion
• “Inspire others with what you wear by showcasing the future through what you wear.” Edwina Ehrman, V&A, and Ben Gleisner, CoGo
• “This is a systems challenge, we need to change business models and increase innovation.” – Lukas Fuchs, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• “The world has finite resources but the economy is built on the idea of infinite growth, so we have to find a new way to work.” – Matthew Drinkwater, Fashion Innovation Agency

 

Full video seminar series available for streaming soon…sign up for our mailing list to stay updated!

 

 

STAY CONNECTED >>> to find out more about our upcoming masterclasses on sustainable materials for fashion, resuming March 2019 in London.

 

A big thank you to:

Avery Dennison//  Holition // Fashion for Good // Jeffies // Journey // ModusBPCM // Plates London // Perception Live // Domaine La Ferriere // Elf Ideas // Design Surgery // Showhow // Femi Fem // Papertown // Greenhouse Graphics // Get a Grip Studio

All images copyright2019© photographed by Suzanne Plunkett.

 

During the festive season we are bombarded with even more pressure to buy, update our party looks and overload our wardrobes, encouraging rapidly increasing clothing waste.  According to the report A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future published by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation in 2017, 53 million tonnes of fibres are produced annually for the clothing industry, and 73% of garments end up either landfilled or incinerated after consumer use.

At this time of year retailers slash their prices in the sales; bargains are alluring, and we are made to believe that we really need that cheap piece of clothing, but we want to explore how to love and enjoy fashion by building a Sustainable Wardrobe:

 

• If you buy, choose only items that can create new looks by complementing what is already in your wardrobe. Before purchasing, think about how many times you will likely wear the new item. The #30wears rule suggests that when shopping, ask yourself if you would wear an item at least 30 times – but aim higher, we would say at least #300!

• Buy smart. Products at low prices are of low value and made cheaply. Invest in quality items that last and which can be resold. Check out The RealReal, Vestiare Collective and similar new secondary market companies #invest

• Get creative: Create your own look and wardrobe that includes vintage and secondhand items, don’t buy a whole look, get #creative

• Buy from brands who integrate sustainability at the core of their business – this means brands who not only produce responsibly with sustainable materials but who also ensure fair labour practices. Check their websites #investigate

• Repair– use your needle and thread to mend your loved clothes. Find a local tailor to help if needed. You can even get creative here by customizing and adding elements of your personality or by updating the silhouettes of your garments. #mend #fix #reinvent

• Choose only items that are of good quality and can be loved for a long time or eventually passed down to family and friends- those pieces have emotional resonance and amazing stories attached to them!  #handmedown #secondhand

• Look at care labels, check out a brand’s website and search for information about sustainability – ask store staff for more information about the products that you’re buying

• Prolong the life of your clothes by following the washing instructions inside. The Carbon Trust reports that 1.5% of global production of CO2 emissions occur in the consumer washing/laundering process. Check garment labels to care for your clothes properly, skip the dryer and opt for line drying, use cold water settings and wash less often so we can protect our world’s drinking water.

• Invest in filtration gadgets such as this gadget to help fight the microfibres problem that comes from washing our clothes. Synthetic fabrics shed tiny plastic microfibres when washed – 250,000 plastic microfibres can be released after just one washing of a synthetic fleece jacket (EMPOWER @filterfibers) and up to 700,000 microfibres can shed from a typical 6kg (13lb) household load (BBC News). It is not perfect but improves the situation.

• Clothes swapping and rental systems: Hold clothes swaps with your friends, or join designer rental companies such as Rent the Runway, DrexCode, or Armarium. London-based Higher Studio offers more avant-garde choices for the artistically inclined.

• Consider local brands and materials as it also helps reduce your garment’s carbon footprint in the shipping and delivery process. #local

 

For a quick 5-minute snapshot to building a sustainable wardrobe, see Anuschka Rees‘s beautiful visualisation below:

 

Discover sustainable materials, fibres and the innovations that will influence the future of a more sustainable fashion system at our upcoming 8^th Future Fabrics Expo on 24-25 Jan, 2018. 

 

We love colour! But at what cost? The fashion industry invests extensive research into colour trends each season, which means textile dyeing and processing plays a vital role in the supply chain. Yet how much water is used (and often polluted) in order to achieve the colours we love so much?  

Traditional textile and fibre processing — which includes dyeing, printing and finishing — is intensive in water and energy consumption. According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), the water footprint in the UK alone is 2,534m³ of water for every tonne of clothing used in one year, with 318m³ /tonne at the processing and manufacturing stage (WRAP, 2012)  — that means the water used in processing and manufacturing is almost the size of an average swimming pool!

Water is one of The Sustainable Angle’s main environmental concerns, and a key criterion when it comes to selecting suppliers for our Future Fabrics Expo.  In support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, our ‘Water’ criterion encompasses the reduction of water use and wastage across the textile supply chain, the treatment and filtering of effluent and wastewater, and the use of exemplary wet processing methods.

 

Addressing water scarcity and pollution are important global issues, along with the effect upon biodiversity and associated human health risks. Water scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of the global population, and more than 80 per cent of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or the sea without any pollution removal (United Nations, 2018). Most textile processing is heavily concentrated in regions where water quality is low, putting vulnerable populations at risk.

Earlier this month, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a landmark report warning that there are only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C. At 1.5C the proportion of the global population exposed to water stress could be 50% lower than at 2C. (The Guardian, 2018)

However, new solutions and innovations have made dramatic improvements in the reduction of water consumption and chemical pollution. These innovations consider water use, chemicals, the ingredients dye pigments are made from, where dye is added, and in which stage of the process.

Reinventing the way denim is dyed is one way to address these challenges.  Archroma’s Advanced Denim processes use a new eco-conscious generation of concentrated sulfur dyes, instead of the high-risk chemical aniline traditionally used in indigo.  These sulfur-mixed dyes are fixed to the fibre, applied with protective starch, then oxidized with bi-catonic agents, eliminating all other steps in the dyeing process including wastewater.

By avoiding the batch-dyeing process entirely, and applying colour directly into the filament is how We aRe Spindye is addressing textile dye challenges. 

Imitating nature’s colours using microorganisms is an ingenious reinvention of the colouration process, developed by Colorifix.

To learn more about these and other low-impact and water saving dye innovations, register to visit our 8th Future Fabrics Expo in January 2019.     

For more information about The Sustainable Angle’s Environmental Criteria, click here. 

 

References:

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/

URS for WRAP. (10 July 2012). Review of Data on Embodied Water in Clothing Summary Report. Retrieved from  http://waste-prevention.gr/waste/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2012_Review%20Data%20Embodied%20Water%20Clothing%20-%20Summary%20Report_EN.pdf

Watts, J. (8 October 2018). We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report

 

Every year the world’s famous and historic Victoria & Albert Museum in London curates a major fashion exhibition that brings relevant cultural issues to the forefront. This year’s theme is Fashioned from Nature, the first UK exhibition to explore the complex relationship between fashion and nature from 1600 to present day.

The exhibition presents fashionable dress alongside natural history specimens, innovative new fabrics and dyeing processes, inviting visitors to think about the materials of fashion and the sources of their clothes. (V&A Museum, 2018).

Fashion’s latest complex relationship with nature — sustainability — was the core topic of the recent conference hosted by the V&A on 5 October, “Fashioned From Nature: Designing a Sustainable Future”.

The Sustainable Angle’s Founder and Director, Nina Marenzi, and Curator & Consultant of the Future Fabrics Expo, Amanda Johnston, both had the pleasure of being guest speakers at the conference, covering “The Material Future of Fashion”. The material discussion was finished off with a Q&A alongside Orr Yarkoni from Colorifix, and Oya Barlas Bingül from Lenzing.

Key speakers at the conference ranged from academia to global brands to journalists to textile leaders, including our friends at Centre for Sustainable Fashion, CELC, Nike, and Stella McCartney to name a few. Industry experts were brought together to explore creative and practical ways to reduce the environmental impact of fashion, from small-scale innovations to new methods being introduced by global brands.

Against the beautiful backdrop of the Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, environment takes centre stage as attendees come together to discover the future of a more sustainable fashion industry, through emerging alternatives in fashion and textile production and design. (V&A, 2018)

As Edwina Ehrman, Senior Curator of Fashioned from Nature, states, “In this fashion exhibit, the environment and nature is at its core”. Sustainability is now a design principle.

Guest speakers Amy Powney and Carrie Somers from fashion label Mother of Pearl, can attest to this. They started their design process via a pilot sustainability project, researching materials with conscious environmental and social impacts with the aim to create a transparent supply chain. This led to the ‘No Frills’ collection, one of their most commercially successful collections. Beyond being aesthetically beautiful in design, many of their materials turned out to be cheaper than using conventional materials. Mother of Pearl’s project proved that the benefits of applying sustainable material sourcing are not only environmental but economical.

CELC Linen, The European Confederation of Flax and Hemp suppliers is the main sponsor of Fashioned from Nature. Their socially responsible European Flax® fibre certification ensures no irrigation, GMOs or waste. The Masters of Linen certification label from CELC means the entire supply chain of flax is grown, processed and manufactured in Europe.

Claire Bergkamp, Worldwide Director of Sustainability and Innovation for Stella McCartney, says that their Spring/Summer 2019 collection was the most sustainable yet. The collection used recycled materials, sustainable viscose, and innovative leather alternatives to name a few. “Leather is 10-20x more impactful on the planet than vegan materials”, she adds, but recognizes that synthetics do have problems such as their end-of-life stage.

Our own The Sustainable Angle presentation was about “Transforming the industry requires a bold re-imagining of how we manage our resources. It is presenting opportunities for material innovation,” says Nina Marenzi.

Together with Amanda Johnston, a range of materials from the Future Fabrics Expo were introduced to the audience. This included emerging innovations such as Nova Kaeru’s fish leather processed with low impact tanning, and organic silk denim and biodegradable sequins. Commercially available fabrics were also shown, such as sports fabrics made with Seaqual’s recycled and recovered marine plastics. There were also biodegradable cellulosic fibres from sustainable wood sources produced in a closed loop cycle, such as Tencel™. An updated, sustainable denim from Bysshe was introduced, which is composed of fibres made from hemp (grown on marginal lands without pesticides, fertilizers or irrigation) and blended with organic cotton (rainfed, grown in crop rotation).

Amanda Johnston adds, “When deciding what materials to use for fashion, the key considerations are: raw materials that take into account agriculture, limited natural resources availability, material processing and end-of-life use.”

With major industry players placing sustainability at the top of their agenda, Fashioned from Nature is a culturally-relevant exhibition that dissects how the fashion industry can use the past and present, to become empowered to think for the future of the planet. We were proud to have contributed to the exhibit by introducing the curators to sustainable materials from the Future Fabrics expo. Thank you to the V&A for inviting us to speak at the conference.

REGISTER TODAY for our upcoming 8th Future Fabrics Expo.

Fashioned from Nature is on display at the V&A until 27 January, 2019. Visit the exhibition.

13th September 2018

Mercedes- Benz Fashion Week in Istanbul 

On the  13th of  September The Sustainable Angle’s curator Amanda Johnston was invited to join the Lenzing Sustainability panel discussion during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Istanbul. This year the event was held at the Zorlu Performing Arts Centre, nestled within the luxurious Zorlu shopping centre.
The history of Istanbul Fashion Week only dates back to 2008, then named Fashion Lab, expanding to become a fully-fledged fashion week in 2010.
The panel were greeted by a packed theatre with a diverse audience comprised of fashion fans, industry insiders, buyers, journalists, bloggers, influencers and photographers.
The discussion was chaired by renowned journalist Ferhan Istanbullu, and the panel was coordinated by Hale Saracoglu from Lenzing, who also contributed her expertise in the fashion industry supply chain and in the field of man made cellulosics. She conveyed the importance of clear communication around sustainability to the discussion. Hale explained and highlighted the FSC certified wood feedstock, closed loop production process and key benefits of different Lenzing fibres such as Tencel™, Eco Vero™ and Refibra™.
Ferhan was interested to hear the panel’s thoughts on defining sustainability, and to frame the importance of our fast fashion habits as contributors to the culture of fashion consumption. The panel observed that with fast fashion we have been led to consume very easily in excess quantities. We can throw away the products we don’t like or we don’t want anymore so easily, as their price suggests that their value is disposable, and we have lost the desire, patience and knowledge to care for and repair our clothing.
The challenges designers and brands face today is in implementing holistic sustainable practices- and understanding that sustainability goes beyond choosing the right fibres or production processes, but is also about the quality and longevity of garments, in order to stem the huge environmental impact that comes from today’s throw away culture of clothing.

Amanda introduced the work of the The Sustainable Angle, what we do, and how we developed our criteria, highlighting examples of more sustainable and responsible materials for fashion in both man-made and natural fibres which have a low environmental impact, highlighting the variety of choices available and the necessity to move away from unsustainable non-renewable virgin polyester and conventionally grown cotton currently dominating the market. We discussed the need for diversification of the global fibre basket, and the crucial need to develop circular models throughout the textiles supply chain, and through to product in order to provide solutions to our growing, and unmanageable material waste streams. We shared the interest from industry partners in projects that propose how we may think differently about material sources in the future, and how we manage those waste streams.
At retail lack of information on labels means that consumers don’t know where the fabric come from, what is it made of? The answers to these questions and transparency of process are important. For example TENCEL™ branded fibers come from trees. But, understanding the processes that makes the fibre, yarn and fabric are as important as the raw material of fabrics, only this way we may understand its impact to the environment and make informed choices when we shop. The need for full transparency of information, certifications and supply chain traceability being key.

Simone Seisl, Materials expert, Ambassador and Consultant for Textile Exchange said; ‘we are talking about a very serious subject with global climate change, and we need to act as a community to create a change. We have duties individually both in our professional work environment and personally in our private life. We don’t expect anyone to make a dramatic change from day one to day two however starting from today we need to start this movement step by step. Water waste, global climate change and the micro-plastic issue in the oceans are some of the environmental problems. There is no one solution to all, all the problems are linked together.’
Simone flagged up an opportunity and observed that Turkey is a key player in Denim production in the world, and that Textile Exchange believe that Turkey is poised to play an important role in the successful recycling of Denim in the future, lowering the impact on natural resources and initiating an important step towards the circular economy for textiles.

All agreed there is now an urgency to investigate how we can produce raw materials more sustainably, and innovate, by first thinking in a solutions based way. Also, discussions about some of the new innovations and solutions, developed to address our most pressing sustainability issues, including leather alternatives and the interest in recycling technologies and pre and post consumer industry and food waste materials suggested a new, responsibly produced materials landscape for the future.

The discussion concluded with a Q&A, of not only consumer habits and how to make the right fibre choices, but most importantly of how to think creatively, how sustainability should be recognised as a game changer and an opportunity, for businesses to future proof their operations. The discussion also drew attention to the significance of the impact that we as consumers and industry practitioners can have through our everyday choices.

Many thanks to Hale and the team at Lenzing Istanbul for their organisation and hospitality.

24th – 25th January 2019, Victoria House, London , WC1

 

The Sustainable Angle is delighted to announce that the 8th Future Fabrics Expo will present its largest ever dedicated sustainable materials showcase at    a new venue, Victoria House, Central London (Holborn WC1) in January 2019. 

Following the success of the 7th Future Fabrics Expo in January 2018, and in response to demand from both our partner mills and industry visitors, the 2019 8^th edition of the Future Fabrics Expo has increased in scale, ambition and vision.

Our aim is to provide the fashion industry with a one stop shop for accessing a broad range of material solutions, and the strategic tools needed to respond to the critical imperative to change current practices presented by the wasteful and polluting impacts of the fashion and textile industries.  Since our inception in 2011, the Expo has facilitated and supported sustainable sourcing practices, enabling fashion brands to begin diversifying their fabrics and materials and lowering environmental impacts.

These materials are global qualities, which  showcases and enables informed sourcing. We situate this resource in the current sustainability context, providing educational background information and research, aiming to demystify the complexities of sustainable practice. The best practice traditional natural fibres, regenerated cellulosics, naturals and synthetics bio source, and closed loop materials.

Enhancing our curated selection of globally sourced textiles and materials will be ten specially selected best practice mills and suppliers, presenting their materials in their own dedicated space. For the first time we will also showcase several manufacturers and globally recognized certifiers. A new space presenting fashion brands working with materials sourced via the Future Fabrics Expo provides a view of best practice, from materials sourcing through to product realisation.

We will also again be presenting an exciting expanded Innovation Hub, showcasing both emerging and commercially available innovations, featuring a collaboration with Fashion for Good organisation. The Innovation Hub acknowledges the recent surge in research and design that has led to the plethora of materials innovations we are now seeing surface in response to material scarcity, increasing waste streams, the need for transparent and traceable supply chains, and those addressing the cellulose gap for example .

We have coordinated again an inspirational seminar programme, featuring key thought leaders, panel discussions and presentations from innovators, industry insiders, textile producers and designers.

 

 

Why Visit?

• Ideal for sourcing more sustainable materials

• Unique showcase of thousands of innovative sustainable fashion materials with supporting individual sustainability information for each textile.
• Top 10 specially selected best practice mills and suppliers, showcasing for the first time their materials in their own dedicated space.
• Seminars that will be running  over the two days featuring  industry experts

• The Innovation Hub: with cutting edge, groundbreaking material developments, and a content collaboration with Fashion for Good.
• Sustainable Fashion Brands: A showcase of brands that create  fashion products exemplifying good practice, from materials through to finished product.

 

Nearest tube station:  Holborn station, Central line. Address: Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4DA

Please contact us if you require further information at info@thesustainableangle.org

 

REGISTER HERE to sign up to the  8th Future Fabric Expo

 

To find out more about The 7th Future Fabrics Expo:

https://thesustainableangle.org/the-7th-future-fabrics-expo-3/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Iwmiwq8mw

 

To find out more about recent events where the Future Fabrics Expo was showcased such as Copenhagen Fashion Summit, The London Textile Fair and London Fashion Week, please see below:

Copenhagen Fashion Summit:

https://thesustainableangle.org/the-sustainable-angles-future-fabrics-expo-at-copenhagen-fashion-summit

The London Textile Fair:

https://thesustainableangle.org/london-textile-fair

London Fashion Week:

https://thesustainableangle.org/london-fashion-week-round-up

Follow us on:

• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thesustainableangle/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sustainable_Ang
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SustainableAngle
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPG6tQUhPKidyEhWNp5vIEw

 

The Future Fabrics Expo at The London Textile Fair

The Sustainable Angle showcased the Future Fabrics Expo for the first time at The  London Textile Fair on the 18 & 19th July 2018 at the Business Design Centre in Islington, North London.

The London Textile Fair invited the Future Fabrics Expo as part of its vision and commitment to help guide designers and brands on their journey towards more sustainable fabric sourcing and practices.

The Sustainable Angle presented a special edition of the Future Fabrics Expo, which showcased an information platform, enabling visitors at The London Textile Fair to access and discover a diverse range of commercially available sustainable textiles and material innovations for the future of fashion. This debut of a dedicated focus on sustainable fabrics at The London Textile Fair reflects a timely recognition of the critical imperative for the fashion and textile industries to practice sustainability throughout the fashion supply chain, starting with materials sourcing, at the very fibre and fabric stage.

Within our Expo we featured two seminars each day, the first by The Sustainable Angle curator Amanda Johnston, highlighting current fashion and textile impacts. The critical need to think more intelligently about outdated models that pollute, waste precious resources and perpetrate the abuse of human rights and animal ethics were discussed. The seminar summarised the key sustainability issues of fibre and processing types, and introduced the Sustainable Angle’s perspective on materials sourcing. 

Oya Barlas Bingual from Lenzing Group introduced the company’s global firsts regarding fibre technology in low impact regenerated cellulosic’s, and the newly launched innovations that are providing viable alternatives to cotton and silk, whilst importantly paving the way towards closing the loop on our material streams. For example, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose fibres are created from certified raw materials and controlled sources, and TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ technology involves up-cycling a proportion of pre- consumer cotton scraps.

We were delighted to present for the first time, a curated selection of qualities that meet our criteria from the London Textile Fair exhibitors, and to highlight examples of best practice responsibly produced fabrics on the Future Fabrics Expo Forum in the main foyer. Here we also introduced our organisation and research, highlighting current data which emphasizes the need to practice more responsibly in order to future proof supply chains and business. These qualities showcased the broad range of sustainable solutions, from closed loop c, eco- down, ‘waterless’ printing, recycled materials through to GOTS certified cottons produced in France, exemplified by Les Trouvailles d’Amandine

This special edition of the Future Fabrics Expo aimed to educate and inform visitors about the latest research and initiatives of global textile organisations, who are making positive contributions to the design, manufacture, and functionality of more sustainable practices, creating and extending sustainable networks in the fashion and textile industries. We supported this by presenting a broad range of fabrics, materials and key information that contributes to increasing knowledge and providing solutions from a sourcing perspective.

The Future Fabrics Expo provide their experience, research and robust criteria to create a specially curated selection of materials and textiles with a lower environmental impact all in one place at the London Textile Fair. To enquire about our projects, research and consultancy for the fashion industry services please email info@thesustainableangle.org

Thank you to The London Textiles Fair team for hosting us, and for the overwhelmingly positive feedback from all our visitors!

24th – 25th January 2018, London

The Sustainable Angle holds the 7th Future Fabrics Expo, a curated showcase of 5000+ sustainable innovative fashion materials with a lower environmental footprint, on 24-25th January 2018. Since 2011, our aim is to support sustainable sourcing, enabling fashion brands to begin diversifying their fabrics and materials basket right now in order to reduce their environmental footprint.

 

Our curated materials collection of 5000+ fashion materials embodies a range of sustainable principles, innovations and new technologies, sourced from international suppliers and mills who demonstrate a commitment to lowering the environmental impact across the textile supply chain. They are selected according to our environmental criteria established with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Each material on display has detailed sustainability information, relevant certifications and the contact details of the suppliers displayed.

 

 



 

Why Visit?

• Unique showcase of innovative sustainable fashion materials , Ideal for sourcing
• 5000+ fashion materials with a reduced environmental impact from over 100 mills and suppliers
• Innovation section with cutting edge, groundbreaking material developments
• Yarns
• 10 seminars held by industry experts run over 2 days alongside the expo
• Innovations, Fabrics and Leather Highlights that you read about in the news can actually be experienced in this unique, largest materials showcase in central London
• Algae derived materials
• Apple skin vegan leather
• Chrome-free tanned leathers
• Cradle to Cradle certified yarns and threads
• Ecovero, TENCEL™ Luxe, Tencel™, Refibra by Lenzing Group
• GOTS certified Inks, fabrics, lace, and ribbons
• Orange fibre
• Oyster shell fabrics
• Mushroom leather
• Pineapple textile
• Recycled polyester from ocean plastics

 



 

Seminars
At the 7th Future Fabrics Expo we will again hold our popular seminars, highlighting circular economy systems and transparency in the fashion supply chain. Tickets include entry to the seminars which can be booked upon entry to the Future Fabrics Expo on a first come first served basis.

Seminars presented by industry leaders from:
 

• Beyond Surface Technologies on finishing technology with green chemistry
• BOTTLETOP on building stores with 3D printing with recycled materials
• Lauffenmühle about making yarns, fabrics and trims Cradle to cradle certified
• Lenzing Group about continuously innovating with closed loop processing
• Responsible Wool Standard on new wool standard
• Vegea on WINELEATHER® derived from fibers + vegetal oils from wine making process

   

   

  

   

  The nearest tube stations are

   

  West Brompton on the District line – only 500 yards from Iris Studios.
  Earls Court

   

  *********************

   

  Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm

  Address: Iris Studios London, SW10 9AE

   

  Please contact us if you require further information at info@thesustainableangle.org

   

  #futurefabricsexpo #thesustainableangle #futurefabricsvirtualexpo #sustainablefabrics #sustainability #fashionmaterials #fabrics #sourcing #7thfuturefabricsexpo

  As part of London Fashion Week’s Positive Fashion initiative launching in September 2017, The Sustainable Angle is holding a talk Future of Fashion: sustainable innovation at its core on 18th September 2017.

  This will be the first time sustainability in fashion will be discussed in such a format at LFW focusing on innovations that lower the environmental impact of fashion.

  A panel of thought leaders, industry insiders and experts discuss the future of fashion and how sustainable innovations can improve the industry and lessen the impact on the environment. With the fashion industry having one of the largest environmental footprint on our planet through depletion of our natural resources, pollution and waste creation, action is required. Discussed are what solutions are available already, how the industry can be improved and what exciting innovations exist.

  The Panel:

  Daniel Lismore London based artist, fashion designer, celebrity stylist, writer and human rights campaigner.

  An artist and fashion designer known for elaborate and extravagant ensembles that brilliantly combine haute couture with his own creations, vintage fabrics, found objects, chainmail, ethnic jewellery, millinery and more in an expression of eccentric, creative energy. Daniel Lismore is engaged in sustainability and advises clients like Vivienne Westwood. Author of ‘Daniel Lismore: Be yourself, everyone else is already taken’.

  LENZING Group, Andreas Dorner, Commercial Director Textiles, Europe & Americas.

  Lenzing Group supplies the global textile and non-wovens industry with high-quality, botanic cellulose fibers such as TENCEL® and RefibraTM in a closed loop production process, representing sustainable alternatives for the fashion industry.

  Arizona Muse, Model, Mother, World Citizen

  Arizona is an American fashion model living in London, engaged with moving the fashion industry into a more sustainable industry. Involved with Fashion Revolution and participating in the Green Carpet challenge during Milan Fashion week.

  Avery Dennison retail branding and information solutions, Helen Sahi, Senior Director for Sustainability

  Avery Denison RBIS have a broad offering of responsible, ingenious solutions achieving environmental targets and sustainability goals such as eliminating waste to landfill, making labels that are bio-based and using chemicals that are not harmful. There is a wide range of solutions supporting designers who use a diverse portfolio of sustainable branding elements. With high sustainability standards that exceed the industry norm, the company is committed to leveraging our reputation among retailers, manufacturers, and brands to accelerate performance intelligently, while delivering positive economic, social, and environmental impact.

  BYSSHE, Henry Palmer, Founder

  Bysshe Partnership produces high quality fabrics in the traditional textile heartland of the British Isles using natural and organic fibres, sourcing yarns from the UK and Europe. Sustainability and regional autonomy are crucial to the way the company works, offering a fabric range that protects the environment and supports non-exploitative textile production.

  Chaired by Amanda Johnston, curator and consultant of FUTURE FABRICS EXPO of THE SUSTAINABLE ANGLE. Lecturer at the London College of Fashion, co-author of ‘Fabric for Fashion’. The Sustainable Angle is a not for profit organisation that informs & promotes sustainable practices in the fashion industry through the Future Fabrics Expo since 2011, a curated showcase of 3000 fashion materials from over 100 suppliers with a lower environmental impact.

  To get in touch about this invite only event, please email info@thesustainableangle.org

  Our new masterclass Mastering Sustainability – material sourcing for designers will be held at our West London Studio on the 7th November.

  We have added more dates for our masterclasses due the high demand we had from fashion brands following on from our previous classes earlier on this year.

  ”With clear presentations, inspiring examples and hands on sample exploration, the Future Fabrics Expo Masterclass has really given me the further understanding and confidence to begin making lasting sustainable changes in my own company.” – Matthew Oliver, Product Designer, Larsson & Jennings

  The first in the series will teach designers about material sourcing and the decisions that need to be made as a designer from a sustainable angle. Furthermore we give attendees the chance to discover a diverse range of sustainable materials and resources from the Future Fabrics Expo collection. They will receive our coveted sustainable sourcing guide, which includes a list of suppliers and their contact details.

  

  What to expect:

  The Masterclass runs from 9.30am – 12.30pm at 9.30am we’ll have coffee before a prompt start at 10am. You will experience over 3000+ materials with a lower environmental impact, touch and feel them at your leisure after learning about what you should be taking into consideration when sourcing materials sustainably. The masterclass is an interactive and tactile experience to interest and inspire you. You will be given guidance to prepare you for the decisions you’ll need to make as a designer when sourcing and makes it easier for your brand to integrate sustainability at the heart of what you do.

  • Experience a selection of over 3000+ materials and textiles with a lower environmental impact.
  • Get hands on with more sustainable materials and exciting innovations. It includes trims and cords, fibres such as regenerates, recycled fibres, wool, organic cotton, low impact leather and leather alternatives  as well as innovative new materials.
  • Learn about sustainable practices within the fashion industry in general.
  • Read detailed specifications for how each material on display is uniquely sustainable.
  • Learn about certifications for sustainable textiles and leathers

  The Future Fabrics Expo is a showcase of innovative and traditional commercially available fibres, fabrics and products that embody a range of sustainable principles and new technologies, sourced from international suppliers and mills who demonstrate a commitment to lowering environmental impact across the textile supply chain. It includes more sustainable alternatives to the widely available conventional fabrics that currently dominate the market, helping fashion companies to begin diversifying their fabric base and lowering their environmental impact at the same time. Materials at our studio will be ideally suited for a wide range of market levels and product types.

  Early Bird tickets starting from £90 (Normal price £130) you can book now >>>> http://bit.ly/2wTw1zk

  The Future Fabrics Expo Masterclass will be held at our West London studio, London.

  The nearest tube stations are:

  – Ladbroke Grove – only 0.6 miles from our studio

  – Kensal Green

  – Kensal Rise Overground

  Please contact us if you require further information at info@thesustainableangle.org

  See more testimonials from our Masterclasses here:

   

  https://www.thesustainableangle.org/future-fabrics/about/testimonials/

  See Fashion works through an online platform, aspiring fashion designers submit and share their designs. See Fashion will support/manage the manufacture and distribution of their products.
  I, Martin Brambley, research Fellow at The Sustainable Angle was delighted to sit on the panel hosted by See Fashion. I brought with me a small selection of fabrics including 100% knitted Lenzing fibres, to exemplify the need to diversify the fashion fibre basket.

   

  

   

  Ivana Director of see fashion started by introducing the panel consisting of:

  – Dr Carmen Hijosa the inventor of Piñatex

  – Utami Giles. Head of Sales and Marketing at Ananas Anam

  – Charlie Ross – Director and Founder of Offset

  – Andra Sandru, founder of ASx2 Acurrator Agency

  Through the lively discussion, hosted by Aaron Jones, many points were raised. Interestingly different members of the panel had different perspectives because of their specialisms. On difficult questions such as “What is the most sustainable Fabric?”

  Utami Giles – Was asked what she though was the most sustainable fabric. She referenced her own experience of visiting a small village where. Their Hair fibres were brushed from an animal, spun and woven all within the same vicinity. Utami emphasised the benefits of slow and regional processing. Not to mention this shawl is something she now treasures dearly.
  Charlie Ross – Was asked about what consumers can do! She responded with an anecdote about her realisation that often if she was buying in to fast fashion, someone else was getting exploited. She was not prepared to do this and therefore stopped buying clothes with fabrics that exploited people. Charlie would encourage anyone to be disciplined about this.

  Andra Sandru – When talking about ethical manufacturing, enlightened the group on how to persuade Buyers to buy in to more ethical manufacture. She was commissioned for a large quantity of T-shirts. The Buyer wanted Non-Organic Cotton. Andra was knowledgeable enough to emphasise the properties, lower environmental impact, and small mark-up that can be compensated by the consumer appreciation of organic garments. She therefore persuaded the buyer to spend marginally more. I think Andra is a shining example of a young fashion designer who has the knowledge to tackle and argue against profiteering.

   

  

   

  Dr Carmen Hijosa – Spoke about supply chain transparency and revealed that Pinatex don’t allow every designer to buy their fabrics. They take the life cycle of their product so seriously and want designers who buy it to be considerate of the environmental impacts of their production.

  I was asked about sourcing in small quantities. I believe that Offset Warehouse is great place to buy small minimums of more sustainable Textiles, some of the mills we work with including Seidentraum, Lebenskleidung also have websites where you can order by the metre. I went on to talk about how if designers have knowledge about sustainable textiles and are prepared to ask the right questions they are able to source textiles more sustainably.

  Thank you so much to See Fashion for having this panel.

  The 7th Future Fabrics Expo will take place in London on 24th – 25th January 2018, and we look forward to showcasing an exciting range of materials with a reduced environmental impact, more than ever before.

  BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW for the 7th Future Fabrics Expo held at Iris Studios, London, and receive further updates. 

  

  Alongside our showcase of innovative fabrics with a lower environmental footprint, we also feature low impact leathers and leather alternatives. Background information explaining sustainability in materials is displayed throughout the showcase.

  Our curated materials collection embodies a range of sustainable principles and new technologies, sourced from international suppliers and mills who demonstrate a commitment to lowering the environmental impact across the textile supply chain. Our aim is to support sustainable sourcing, enabling fashion brands to begin diversifying their fabrics and materials basket, in order to contribute to reducing their environmental impact. Each fabric has detailed specifications regarding its environmental impact, relevant certifications and the contact details of the supplier displayed.

  As in 2017, we will again feature seminars from key organisations and innovators, highlighting circular economy systems and transparency in the fashion supply chain. See Previous seminars HERE

  

  The presentations of the seminars from 2017 can be accessed via the edited online version of the Future Fabrics Expo here: www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com/6th-future-fabrics-expo-2017

  Since its launch in 2011, The Future Fabrics Expo, presented by The Sustainable Angle, has continued to develop as a unique sourcing platform for sustainable materials. This includes providing the fashion industry with sustainable materials knowledge, innovations and general information about sustainability in fashion, all situated within an extensive showcase of 3000 globally sourced materials from over 100 mills, all with a reduced environmental impact.

  A key aspect of the Future Fabrics Expo experience is how the tactile experience of a broad range of sustainable materials, and contextual knowledge informs creative and sustainable decision making, leaving our visitors inspired, informed and ready for change.

  There is an urgent imperative for the fashion industry to transition to an industry with a reduced environmental footprint. Therefore our emerging graduates need to be armed with knowledge about sustainability and their responsibility as future creators.

  Making this knowledge and experience of sustainable materials available to both lecturers and students, this new educational resource is an indispensable tool. It provides an educational tool kit for lecturers with which sustainable materials knowledge can be embedded into the curriculum.

  

  The kit;
  With a download including 13 modules, accompanied by swatch boxes, sustainable materials can be integrated into existing fashion education curricula, stage by stage, efficiently and at low cost.

  The downloadable teaching resource for an in-depth learning experience:
  Through guided interaction with 13 modules, students learn about sustainable materials, defined by provenance of fibre, their processing journey, and by what criteria they are more sustainable. Students are also offered a tactile experience by relating this learning to the swatches supplied in the swatch boxes accompanying each module.

  The swatches are made up of diverse types of sustainable materials which match the educational modules, and enable a tactile learning experience, reinforcing the core texts.

  Download content and swatch boxes are available at a competitive yearly subscription rate, which is supported by The Sustainable Angle’s funding through our environmental foundations and sponsors.

  The Dame Vivienne Westwood sustainable and ethical award is part of Graduate Fashion Week, London, 4 -7th June, 2017, and is given to a student for designing and creating a sustainable, ethically aware and socially responsible product with a lower environmental impact. The award is sponsored by Lenzing Group, a world market leader in the global textile and nonwovens industry producing high-quality botanic fibers.

  The awarded design must embody and communicate sustainable and ethical practices using sustainable raw materials with a lower envrionmental impact, manufacturing and production techniques.

  The judging panel of the award consists of:

  • Jennifer Thiel, Vivienne Westwood
  • Oya Barlas Bingul, Lenzing Group
  • Amanda Johnston, The Sustainable Angle
  • Tamsin Lejeune, Ethical Fashion Forum

  The award is announced on 5th June 2017 at Graduate Fashion Week. Part of the award is a cash prize as well as a visit to The Sustainable Angle studio which is a supporter of the award, as well as The Ethical Fashion Forum, promoting designers in sustainable fashion.

  The awarded garment will be shown again at the Graduate Fashion Week event in October 2017 at the Houses of Parliament.

  
  
  

  

  We are excited to have Lenzing Group as our new sponsor. Lenzing is a world market leader in the global textile and nonwovens industry producing high-quality botanic fibers. The natural resource wood, which is the basic material for these fibers is sourced only from sustainable origins – within Austria and other countries Lenzing^TM fibers come from nature and as they are biodegradable go back to nature.

  For years our Future Fabrics Expo has showcased dozens of mills who weave and knit fabrics made with fibers from the Lenzing Group.  Only fashion materials with a lower environmental impact are shown in the expo and many of the 3000+ fabrics from our 100 suppliers in the expo are made with Lenzing^TM fibers.

  

  We are excited to now have Lenzing Group itself involved as the fibre maker of these sustainable fabrics and knits. The fibres of Lenzing Group are made from dissolving wood pulp to standard and specialty cellulose high-quality fibres. The most important brands of the Lenzing Group are: TENCEL®, Refibra^TM, Lenzing Modal® and Lenzing Viscose®.

  We are delighted to have Lenzing Group as our sponsor and helping us in our effort to introduce more sustainable fibres to the fashion industry, increase visibility of sustainable innovations, inform, educate and inspire the fashion community to work with fibres and fabrics with a lower environmental impact. Lenzing Group is committed to the principles of sustainable management with very high environmental standards and can underscore this commitment with numerous international sustainability certifications for its business processes as the most sustainable company in the sector. http://www.lenzing.com/en/responsibility/economic-responsibility/certifications.html

  

  Lenzing’s quality and innovative strength set global standards for cellulose fibers. With 79 years of experience in fiber production, the Lenzing Group is the only company in the world which is able to produce significant volumes of all three cellulose fiber generations.

  We are particularly excited by Lenzing Group’s new Refibra^TM branded fiber, alyocell fiber, made from pulp that contains cotton scraps left over from cutting clothes and wood. With the  Refibra™ fiber Lenzing has initiated an important step towards circular economy for textiles. The TENCEL® fiber won the EU prize for the most ecofriendly production process thanks to its closed loop production of more than 99% and its use of bioenergy. Wood as a renewable raw material from sustainable sourcing is another important aspect when it comes to the sustainability of TENCEL® fibers. The Refibra™ fibers now combine both advantages – the recycling of cotton scraps and the most sustainable of fiber technologies. The fiber is produced in the lyocell process. Lenzing is the first manufacturer to offer cellulose fibers featuring recycled material on a commercial scale and is a pioneer with this technology.

  The group is headquartered in Austria, and operates production sites in all major markets as well as has a worldwide network of sales and marketing offices.

  The Sustainable Angle travelled to Copenhagen showing a selection of fashion materials from the Future Fabrics Expo in the Solutions Lab of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. At the summit many cited Orange Fibre, which was showcased on our stand, as a great innovation.  We also displayed many Cradle to Cradle certified materials which tied in nicely with the keynote speech of the Cradle to Cradle founder William McDonough.

  

  It was an impressive line up of speakers, thought leaders, pioneers and visionaries from the fashion industry and beyond, presenting their ideas and insights as to how to reduce the fashion industry’s heavy environmental footprint and making it a more responsible and fairer industry by embracing a circular approach.

  There was great interest in seeing the materials at our Future Fabrics Expo pop up at the summit. It felt right to have the actual materials on display of which so much was talked about during the summit. It is one thing to talk on stage about ideas and new paradigms, but another to actually design and make products that are responsibly produced and processed and with raw materials that are no longer polluting. See them listed further below and the video as well as their materials on www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com

  A significant outcome of the 2017 Copenhagen Fashion Summit was the launch of the Call to Action for a Circular Fashion System, which was signed by some of the world’s leading and biggest companies. Signatories of the Call to Action commit to defining a circular strategy, to setting targets for 2020 and to reporting on the progress of implementing the commitment.

  

  Of great interest is the report written by the Global Fashion Agenda, organizer of the summit, together with The Boston Consulting group: Pulse of the fashion industry which sets out ‘a vision of a better fashion industry’.

  In summary, what needs to happen next is investing in designs and strategies to extend the life span of clothing, minimize the environmental footprint of production at the design stage by taking into account the end of life of a product at the outset, (eg for it not to end in landfill but rather become the material for the next product without losing value). Investment needs to go into innovations for materials that are clean, renewable, non-toxic, not to the detriment of human’s health nor the planet’s. Quite simply, in the words of Ellen MacArthur, we need to move away from the linear system based on using finite resources creating waste and therefore losing value. What is needed is a system change, to move away from a linear system to a circular  system that is restorative and regenerative.

  

  Ananas Anam, innovators of Piñatex™ , is a natural, innovative and patent pending new material, made from pineapple leaf fibres as a by-product of the pineapple harvest. No extra land, water, fertiliser or pesticides are required

  

  Avery Dennison works with brands and retailers worldwide to design and innovate sustainable branding and technology solutions for the apparel and footwear market.

  

  Beyond Surface Technologies AG is a Swiss company creating green chemistry for the finishing process of textiles achieving lower potential hazards and a smaller carbon footprint overall.

  

  Cradle to Cradle Innovation institute, uses the Cradle to Cradle framework to foster a new generation of sustainable products including fabrics, trims and elastics

  

  Doppelhaus produces sustainable non-woven wool fabrics with a lower environmental impact utilising innovative felting technology and 100% British wool saving water and energy, reducing waste and costs.

  

  Nova Kaeru is an exotic bio leathers pioneer in organic tanning and seamless panelling technology for fish, ostrich leg and caiman fish leathers from food waste mainly in Brazil incorporating sustainability, technology and innovation at its core.

  

  Orange fibre is the Italian innovator who developed the patented process to create sustainable textiles from citrus juice by-products otherwise a discarded resource.

  The Sustainable Angle is a not for profit organisation with the aim of connecting sustainable innovators producing materials with a lower environmental impact to the fashion industry. Since 2011, our showcase, Future Fabrics Expo, has welcomed thousands of visitors who experienced nearly 3000 materials from over 100 suppliers that embody a range of sustainable principles and new technologies, sourced from international suppliers and mills who demonstrate a commitment to lowering the environmental impact across the textile supply chain. It includes more sustainable alternatives helping fashion brands to diversify their fabric base and so lowering their environmental footprint. The expo can be booked for workshops as part of our advisory services email info@thesustainableangle.org for more info.

  

  Our pop up in the ‘Solutions Lab’ at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit highlights a selection of exhibitors from our Future Fabrics Expo including:

  

  Ananas Anam, innovators of Piñatex™ , is a natural, innovative and patent pending new material, made from pineapple leaf fibres as a by-product of the pineapple harvest. No extra land, water, fertiliser or pesticides are required

  

  Avery Dennison works with brands and retailers worldwide to design and innovate sustainable branding and technology solutions for the apparel and footwear market.

  

  Beyond Surface Technologies AG is a Swiss company creating green chemistry for the finishing process of textiles achieving lower potential hazards and a smaller carbon footprint overall.

  

  Cradle to Cradle Innovation institute, uses the Cradle to Cradle framework to foster a new generation of sustainable products including fabrics, trims and elastics

  

  Doppelhaus produces sustainable non-woven wool fabrics with a lower environmental impact utilising innovative felting technology and 100% British wool saving water and energy, reducing waste and costs.

   

  Nova Kaeru is an exotic bio leathers pioneer in organic tanning and seamless panelling technology for fish, ostrich leg and caiman fish leathers from food waste mainly in Brazil incorporating sustainability, technology and innovation at its core.

  

  Orange fibre is the Italian innovator who developed the patented process to create sustainable textiles from citrus juice by-products otherwise a discarded resource.

  For more info and to see the video of highlights from the Expo at Copenhagen visit: www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com

  On April 19th The Sustainable Angle was invited to take part in a panel discussion at the American School in London. TSA’s Research Fellow, Martin Brambley, participated at The ASL Sustainability Council discussion during Earth Week. The panel talked on the broad impact of the fashion industry on our environment.

  During Earth Week students, faculty and staff looked attentively at conservationist approaches to becoming more ecological. Previously the school had staged a ‘meatless Monday!’

  

  The panel was set up to precede the viewing of, ‘A True Cost’ a documentary which explores the unvarnished truth behind the production of fast fashion.

  Jessica Sweidan, a founding member of Synchronicity Earth, introduced the panel consisting of Laura Miller, Executive Director at Synchronicity Earth, Heather Knight from Fashion Revolution and Martin Brambley from The Sustainable Angle. 

  The discussion revolved around issues that are of most concern in the fashion industry, which Heather saw as mainly the huge environmental impact of throwing away clothing, on average a single person may produce 70kg of textile waste per year.

  Martin spoke about the lack of knowledge in the fashion industry about such issues of textile waste, pollution stemming from the textile industry and pointed to the many innovations that can now be found as alternatives for example on show at The Future Fabrics Expo and its version online. The Future Fabrics Virtual Expo is a more advanced online research and sourcing platform showcasing a selection of the nearly 3000 materials and 100 mills and suppliers shown at the Future Fabrics Expo, with increased search capability, and opportunity for direct contact with mills. Martin also pointed out the importance of care and maintenance. Author Kate Fletcher also talks about how one of the biggest issues is the water used to continually wash garments instead of perhaps choosing fabrics that need less washing like Wool which is a fibre that is water resistant, air permeable, and slightly antibacterial, so it resists the build-up of odour.

  Heather touched on an issue close to her company’s heart. Spreading awareness, to the consumer about who makes clothes. Fashion Revolution asked makers and manufacturers to hold a sign saying ‘I made your clothes’ and posting it online. Fashion revolution started as a reaction to the Rana Plaza building collapse. 

  Heather enlivened the debate by acknowledging the audience as consumers with power. Heather invited the audience to use a powerful tool, asking the brand who made my clothes. A template is even available on their website to encourage consumers to ask these important questions.

  

  Martin emphasised that If more brands decided to diversify their fibre basket and include sustainable fabrics such as organic cottons, low impact leathers and closed loop cellulosic etc they would be able to reduce their environmental impact. They could also promote their use of more sustainable fabrics and support a supply chain that supports its workers, farmers and the environment.

  After the panel Martin brought along fabrics from the Future Fabrics Expo which got Students, very interested and motivated to create more responsible fashion.

  

  On March 10th, 2017 The Sustainable Angle founder Nina Marenzi was invited to be a part of The CSR and Ethical Business Society, London School of Economics, roundtable on “Fashion the Future: Towards Sustainability in the Fashion Industry” as part of their project week on sustainability.

  The clothing industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, after the oil industry. Textile waste is increasingly a serious environmental threat. In recent years, the acceleration in speed of the fashion supply chain and changing consumer attitudes towards fashion as a disposable commodity has contributed to the large levels of textile waste generated worldwide. In the UK, an estimated 0.8 to 1 million tonnes of all textiles are sent to landfill each year, and used clothing accounts for approximately 350,000 tonnes of landfilled textiles, an estimated £140 million worth.

  The CSR and Ethical Business Society at the LSE aims to raise awareness and draw interest of LSE students on the environmental issues posed by fashion industry, the fast-fashion paradigm and the role of consumers; and current initiatives addressing these issues across the clothes lifecycle.

  Panellists made up of David Logan, Nina Marenzi, Christina Dean, Caroline Haycock and Jade Galston, each presented on the issues, solutions and future plans from their point of view within their field of expertise:

  The roundtable featured the following panellists:

  • The Chair: David Logan

  Co-founder of sustainability consultancy Corporate Citizenship and former Director of Special Programs at Levi Strauss & Co has worked extensively on corporate social responsibility issues across the world.

  • Sourcing: Nina Marenzi

  Founder and Director of The Sustainable Angle set up in 2010. The Sustainable Angle is a not for profit organisation that initiates and supports projects which contribute to minimising the environmental impact of industry and society, and that help make it easier for companies, institutions and individuals, to make better informed decisions when it comes to sustainability.

  • Design: Christina Dean

  Christina Dean is a sustainable fashion advocate who founded Redress and the EcoChic Design Award. She has recently co-authored the consumer guide entitled ‘Dress [with] Sense’. Redress’s Frontline Fashion’, the documentary about how designers are changing the future of fashion has just been released and is available on itunes.

  Christina Dean proclaimed that educating designers on sustainability is an act of environmental activism. Redress is helping teachers to learn about ideas on how to cut waste out of fashion, and generally about zero waste design and up-cycling.

  • Retail: Caroline Haycock, Director of ethical trade & corporate responsibility, Debenhams

  Caroline Haycock has been working in Ethical responsibility and Quality assurance for more than 10 years she is now the Director of Ethical trade and corporate responsibility at Debenhams, Caroline has also worked on campaigns such as ‘Made by Great Britons’ campaign in an effort to help bolster domestic textile production and revitalise the UK clothing industry.

  During the talk Caroline referred to the work Debenhams is already undertaking with TRAID, a charity working to stop textiles and footwear from being thrown away to landfill reducing waste and carbon emissions, while raising funds to fight poverty. As well as the informative website on CSR and sustainability they have which you can see here: http://sustainability.debenhamsplc.com. Debenhams’ environmental responsiblitlies focus on carbon, energy and waste, reducing their impact through improved awareness of environmental problems, efficiency and sustainable investment.

  • Recycling and reusing: Jade Galston from Fertha second hand clothing online

  Jade Galston founder of Fertha which gives a curated range of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories that has been hand picked from one of their charity partners, creating a sustainable and convenient shopping experience, and extra revenues for the charities they  work with.

  

  The roundtable was a great success with good questions from the audience demonstrating how many young people and students are interested in sustainability in the fashion industry, are questioning the status quo and are ready to take action. You can find out more about the work of The CSR and Ethical Business Society at LSE HERE. 

  The Eco Chic Design award has just been launched again and the deadline for application is 3rd April more information is available on their site HERE.

  

   

  Last week The Sustainable Angle’s curator Amanda Johnston was invited by the London College of Fashion’s Cordwainers Accessory and Footwear to hold an interactive sustainable materials and sourcing workshop for students and staff. 

  The workshop started with a presentation discussing the fashion and textile industry’s devastating ecological footprint and social impacts, and how the materials industry is second only to oil in environmental impacts, as well as the number two polluter of clean water in the world. It was stressed that the industry’s over dependency a narrow range of material sources creates risk to the environment and supply chains, and looked at the lead taken by Kering in how we will need to think in a different way to be able to meet the global demand for our materials and textile fibres in the future. The workshop aimed to provide essential information around textile and leather production impacts, and focused on promoting the idea of ‘creative responsibility’, and urging designers to make more mindful materials choices, and to participate in the creation of socially and environmentally responsible supply chains. Some of the industry’s most urgent issues and obstacles were highlighted, discussing the need for creators of the future to be conversant with the impacts of the whole life-cycle of a product, in relation to principles of the circular economy. The students were then invited to become familiar with a range of ‘Skin’ type materials, and to study their sustainability criteria.

  The material selection included organic leather which have been vegetable and rhubarb tanned with sophisticated colour palettes from Dani and Deep Mello. There was great interest in the fashion led colours, prints and metallised effects presented by Atlantic Leather, an Icelandic tannery leading in manufacturing exotic leather from fish-skin which are waste products from the food industry, no fish used are endangered species. The fish-leather is produced from four different species of fish; Salmon, perch, wolffish and cod – each with its own unique characteristics –  in a diverse range of colours, textures and finishes, all tested by the European Chemical Agency. The ‘wow’ factor of Nova Kearu’s post consumer food waste skins from the giant Brazilian fish ‘Pirarucu’ and ostrich leg leather created great interest. Nova Kearu has developed its own organic, chrome free tanning technology , based on a blend of biodegradable acrylic resins, polymers,  synthetic & vegetable tannins which make a superior quality leathers free of heavy metals and environmentally safe.  Skins tanned by Nova Kearu are sub-products of the food industry coming from sustainable management farms controlled and regulated by IBAMA which is the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources.

  LCF Phd Flavia Amadeu creates rubber materials, and supports small producers and artisans from Amazon rainforest, whose economic activities are integrated with the use of sustainable natural resources. The coloured rubber represents a process of social innovation, which resulted from years of research, and has been responsible for generating social transformation and environmental preservation. 

  Other materials featured tactile cork based onto a sustainable Lyocell backing, non toxic paper laminated on to sturdy denim and canvas by Paper Number 9,  Waterproof and durable Pinatex pineapple leaf fibre, featuring new mirrored metallic coatings, BarkTex tree bark fibre, suede-like mushroom ‘leather’ Muskin, Japanese faux leathers from Ultra Fabrics, and brand new food waste technology Frumat faux leathers, utilising apple pectin.

  Thank you to LCC photography student Hazif Zainol.

  At the Sustainable Angle we spend much of our time researching and sourcing innovative textiles and materials with a lower environmental footprint and reducing the fashion industry’s over-dependency on conventional cotton and polyester. These materials are showcased in the annual Future Fabrics Expo as well as in workshops and Pop ups throughout the year, and a curated selection on www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com. This year we are delighted to have FLAVIA AMADEU’s rubber from the Brazilian Rainforest included in the 6th Future Fabrics Expo 25 – 26th January 2017. You can book Tickets here: http://bit.ly/2bnxkLW

  FLAVIA AMADEU supports small producers and artisans from Amazon rainforest, whose economic activities are integrated with the use of sustainable natural resources. The coloured rubber represents a process of social innovation, which resulted from years of research, and has been responsible for generating social transformation and environmental preservation. The Sustainable Angle asked Flavia Amadeu to tell us a little bit more about her work, and what the future holds.    

  TSA – Can you provide a brief outline about what FLAVIA AMADEU is and how it has evolved since its inception?

  F – FLAVIA AMADEU is a design brand that supports small producers and artisans whose economic activities are integrated with the use of sustainable natural resources in the Amazon Rainforest. The company is specialised in the design and production of coloured wild rubber and an Amazonian rubberised textile. The company has evolved through years of research, building strong and trusting relationships with a key network including local producers, artisans and many partners from the public and private sectors, both inside and outside of the rainforest.

  TSA – What first inspired you to start FLAVIA AMADEU? Was it a desire to improve sustainability in the fashion / textiles industries or something else?

  F – Firstly, it started as a desire of promoting social change within my work alongside an early connection with the Amazon rainforest. These values merged during my research with the coloured rubber that began in 2004, in partnership with the Chemistry Laboratory LATEQ, University of Brasilia. This meeting soon became my life mission.

  TSA – Can you tell us about any positive environmental / social impacts you have seen or expect to see as a result of FLAVIA AMADEU?

  F – I have been working directly with local communities since 2011. Today, my suppliers are small producers who I taught rubber production methods to. It is great to see continuation and progression of the production chain, also enabling the inclusion of women in income generation. 2016 was the biggest year for social impact to date, generating positive achievements. Since my return to Brazil in December 2015, I have worked with more than 120 small producers and artisans; regularly working with 3 communities in the rainforest. In the State of Acre, Brazil, my work engages a local cooperative aside a vast network of people supporting my work including beneficiaries. Another great achievement is the involvement of women in the production chain of wild rubber, who have made up about 65% of the artisans and producers I have worked with.

  I am so lucky to have seen such positive impacts spark from my work. When I first began working with communities in the rainforest, children who observed the process are now young adults whose lives have developed through interaction with this rubber production. I have seen women gaining more confidence involved in the production chain showing great enthusiasm about the rubber handcrafts that I introduced to them and even teaching others.

  One of the key people I have worked with and spend time with is artisan and rubber tapper José de Araújo, who has become a recognised artisan in rubber handcrafts. He and his family managed to leave a state of poverty to buy land in the rainforest to protect, because of the development of his handmade unique and beautiful shoes. His wife Delcilene Araújo is an example of women empowerment. Nowadays she takes care of the stock, logistics, team work and became also a skilled artisan.

  I hope FLAVIA AMADEU proceeds to benefit countless more producers and artisans. I aim for our projects to stimulate empowerment of women and promote more social and economic opportunities, also integrating supply chains in the Amazon rainforest.

  TSA – At the moment FLAVIA AMADEU is a new and small-scale company creating innovations like natural rubber from the Amazon. How do you expect it to scale up and be used by the industry in the future – do you think it could eventually be a mainstream commercially used material, and would you want it to be?

  F – The aim is definitely to expand, that FLAVIA AMADEU becomes an important reference in sustainable design. In order to scale up, we have been working to multiply the social innovation of the rubber among more producers. I am always looking for project and investment opportunities, which can add social and environmental values to the production chain. Overall, I would like the production to grow in a profitable, but balanced and sustainable way.

  TSA – The fashion and textiles industries are some of the worst offenders out there for negative environmental and social impact. What do you think are the most pressing environmental and social challenges that we are facing in the industry?

  F – The most pressing issue in my opinion is the human cost disregarded by the fashion and textile industry, which, of course, directly and indirectly relates to the natural environment. In order to put all costs down, life is neglected at all levels. Producers are primarily affected, still working in the most damaging and exploitative conditions in the 21th century! The Bangladesh tragedy put that in our faces and there is plenty more issues we are not being exposed to, for example, lives affected by pesticides, pollution of rivers coming from the washing of textiles and so many more. The drastic impacts drops upon the entire production chain, including the natural environment and final consumers.

  TSA – What do you think is the biggest obstacle to becoming a more sustainable and less harmful industry?

  F – I believe the biggest challenge is to change mind-sets. This means transformations across the production chains, from company policies to consumers.

  The shift towards ecological products and manufacturing methods has begun, people are beginning to become more knowledgeable about the impact their purchases have and are keen to learn the story behind the work, but there is still a long way to go.

  TSA – What are your plans moving forward?

  F – My future plans include the ability to increase the social innovation of rubber among multiple more communities in the rainforest and to be able to empower women and attract young adults in sustainable work with this material. Additionally, I aim to expand the production and distribute Organic Jewellery globally, simultaneously designing more collections and products. Currently, I am applying for funding and seeking investors who are keen in supporting my business, helping it expand.

  TSA – How can industry professionals and consumers get involved and engage with the work you are doing?

  F – Information about the company values, artisans and sales of my products are available at www.flaviaamadeu.com.

  Follow us: @Sustainable_Ang @TheSustainableAngle #futurefabricsexpo

  

   

  

  The Sustainable Angle teamed up with our longstanding sponsor of the Future Fabrics Expo, Kassim Denim to talk about the future of denim. We have had the pleasure of showcasing the forward-thinking Pakistan based mill Kassim Denim for several years now, and are delighted to welcome them back once again as sponsors of the 6th Future Fabrics Expo 25-26th Jan’17 (Tickets available here: http://bit.ly/2dP00xN). Kassim Denim have worked with some of the world’s best known fashion brands to create top quality materials, and are constantly working on innovations to reduce the negative impact of the textiles industry.

  

  We asked Sohail Ahamed, market developer at Kassim denim to tell us more about their work and how they see the future of denim in terms of sustainability. Read the full conversation below, and discover a range of Kassim Denim fabrics with a reduced social and environmental at www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com

  TSA – Kassim Textiles have been supporters of the Future Fabrics Expo for many years, also generously sponsoring the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo, our online showcase of sustainable materials, since its inception. Can you tell us why you think it’s important for Kassim to work with organizations like The Sustainable Angle, and projects like the Future Fabrics Expo and Future Fabrics Virtual Expo?

  K – Working with TSA and The Future Fabrics Expo (FFE) has always been our affirmation in the belief that the world needs a more sustainable and eco-friendly environment. Simply put, we define sustainability as to keep doing what we have been doing while leaving behind enough resources for the coming generations to keep doing it too.Being a part of FFE we have the chance of both showing the world what we do and to also learn what others are doing in their respective fields.

  

  TSA – The Future Fabrics Expo is based in London, and you also exhibit at trade fairs elsewhere in Europe and Asia. Looking back at 2016, have you noticed a significant difference in these markets when it comes to knowledge of sustainability and demand for sustainable materials, and (how) does this influence Kassim’s development of more sustainable materials?

  K – Over the past year’s brands, buyers, and the end consumer have become more conscious and aware of the declining environment and the impacts it is having on mother nature and the earth.

  This gives Kassim the added impetus to drive our sustainable production further in line with our corporate statement “Kassim Denim has always strived to be eco-friendly producing sustainable denim fabrics, and our “Green Kassim” is based on these principles and includes a dedication to protecting the health and safety of our employees and others, and using resources more efficiently. Our sustainability vision focuses on three major areas: manufacturing excellence, product sustainability and corporate citizenship. KASSIM is committed to conducting all affairs lawfully and with integrity and to ensuring excellence in environmental, safety, and all other areas of compliance.

  TSA – Kassim Textiles produces a vast amount of denim for the global market. Can you tell us about the most innovative types of raw materials you produce that have a reduced environmental impact, and are there any processes you are working with that you think could be good alternatives for the future?

  K – For us at Kassim it’s important that we develop our processes to be as efficient as possible throughout the whole supply chain. For us sustainability is to always have future generations in mind, and reduce our environmental impact so that we leave enough resources behind for future generations to come. “Sustainable, environmentally responsible, green management” are the key factors to Kassim Denim’s endeavors to produce the best denim fabrics possible, whilst maintaining the true essentials of being environmentally friendly, to match up with the drive of consumers to buy sustainable products.

  Each of these three perspectives are integral parts of our commitment for integration of an environmental and social lens into core operational and financial management – from material sourcing through product design, manufacturing, distribution, delivery and end-of-life management.

  

  TSA – The textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. What do you think are the most pressing environmental and social challenges in the fashion and textile industry? What needs to be done so the textile industry increases the use of materials with a lower environmental impact?

  K – It’s true that the Textile Industry is the second most polluting industry, and the most pressing challenges for the textile industry is how to lower the use of water, keep a check and balance on the carbon foot print, and most of all making products from bio-degradable materials and in turn producing products that can be easily recycled,

  TSA – What are Kassim denim’s plans moving forward?

  K – Moving forward Kassim denim and in line with our “Green Denim” concept, we are stressing on the use of more compliant chemicals, and including fibers that are proven sustainable.

  Kassim Denim offers a broad selection of fabrics with an reduced environmental impact in fibre type ranging from organic cotton, linen, Tencel®, to recycled polyester etc. to discover more about Kassim Denim,  visit The Future Fabrics Expo (25-26th Jan) 2017 or online at www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com

  Follow us: @Sustainable_Ang @TheSustainableAngle #futurefabricsexpo

   

   

   

   

   

   

  At the Sustainable Angle we spend much of our time researching and sourcing innovative textiles and materials with a lower environmental footprint and reducing the fashion industry’s over-dependency on conventional cotton and polyester. These materials are showcased in the annual Future Fabrics Expo as well as in workshops and Pop ups throughout the year, and a curated selection on www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com. This year we are delighted to have DANI S.p.A included as both exhibiter and speaker at the seminars during the 6th Future Fabrics Expo on the 25 – 26th January 2017. For seminars and Exhibition register here.

  For more than 10 years, Dani has chosen to be a sustainable company, recognising the social and environmental responsibility principles that guide its current and future business accomplishments, that are oriented towards development of the company and its employees, while safeguarding the future generations. Dani S.p.A is a leading leather manufacturer that has chosen to compensate circa 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ released for the production of “Zero Impact” leather.

  We had the pleasure of interviewing DANI S.p.A Marketing Manager Marta Fumei about their Zero Impact leather and what obstacles they think the fashion industry needs to overcome to become a more sustainable industry.

  

  TSA – Can you provide a brief outline about what Zero Impact is and how it has evolved since its inception?

  DANI – As a 66 year old family owned tannery, at Dani we felt it was important to develop what would have not simply be a “new product” but an icon of our corporate philosophy -that touches each strategic choice and innovation technology- integrated in the company’s DNA.

  This is how Zero Impact Leather was born. We developed this project in three winning moves.

  More Innovation: Innovations along the production process thanks to technological improvement in un-hairing, tanning, re-tanning and finishing phases, to substitute all heavy metals.

  Less Emission: Thanks to our ability to measure CO₂ emissions and the innovations introduced in the production phases, we were able to lower our CO₂ emissions by 5%

  Zero Impact: To reach the total compensation of CO₂ produced, we are involved in a reforestation program in partnership with AzzeroCO2. Since we started we already planted 1,869 trees in Italy.

  

  TSA What first inspired the owners to start developing Zero Impact? Was it a desire to improve sustainability in the fashion and leather industries or something else?

  DANI Thanks to the technology available today, there are less concerns related to the sustainability of leather tanning. Innovations have been implemented to all phases of the process to limit the use of natural resources, to recover the waste and to have a better control of the entire production while safeguarding the working environment and respecting the laws that regulate our industry.

  The desire to brush off our shoulders the image of a polluting and carless industry guided our development and choices, until sustainability became for us the priority: we conduct ongoing research to reduce the environmental impact of our production and at the same time we collaborate with the tanning district of Arzignano, including the purifying plant, chemical companies and all other partners that transform our waste into other products.

  TSA Can you tell us about any positive environmental / social impacts you have seen or expect to see as a result of Zero Impact?

  DANI The realisation of this project was also possible thanks to the involvement, participation, suggestions and experiments conducted with our partners.

  With this project we would like to approach even more sustainable brands, building together a product that is responsible for consumers, the environment and the future generation. We would like to build awareness about the possibility of producing in a more sustainable way, and about the fact that we always put the research of innovative products as a starting point for everything we do.

  To prove this, for two years Dani has been publishing its Sustainability Report: distributing it is our free choice, and represents our will of informing our stakeholders about the impact of our activities in a social and environmental context, explain our remuneration policy and commitments to employees, provide information on the relationship with customers and suppliers, and our involvement with the local community.

  TSA Do you expect Zero Impact to be used by more large industry players in the future?

  DANI Of course! We know for a fact that we are not the only one looking into this kind of innovation, but above all, we know that our customers are looking more and more for a partner rather than a supplier, someone that is safe and reliable, that can assure a certain level of quality, especially when it comes to what do we use to tan our leather.

  TSA The fashion, leather and textiles industries are some of the worst offenders out there for negative environmental and social impact. What do you think are the most pressing environmental and social challenges that we are facing in the industry?

  DANI Unfortunately the past actions and the past practices undertaken by the fashion industry have not always proved them right. Is it also true, that the world as it is today cannot keep up with the increasing demand of throw away fashion: our habit has changed so much that, for a lot of people, now shopping is just a primary leisure and they want everything at a low price. The fashion industry has a very complex supply chain and, for this reason, companies should start looking at each stage and character of this: not only to reduce the use of natural resources and better select the raw material needed, but especially behaving ethically and contributing positively to the society and to the environment, everywhere in the world. It is important to pay attention to all the sustainable dimensions in order to start making the difference. When we only consider one or another, we lose something along the way and our commitment does not build as much. 

  TSA What do you think is the biggest obstacle to becoming a more sustainable and less harmful industry?

  DANI The biggest obstacle would be not to focus on all aspects of sustainability but only on one of these. In fact, there cannot be an economy without a society, and a society cannot survive in an environment that will not last for long. We should not forget that the environment is the most important element, where everything happens and on which everything depends. 

  

  TSA What are your plans moving forward?

  DANI With the project Zero Impact we would like to start a contagious activity, not only directed to our B2B customers, but also to the final consumer. We would like to bring to their attention the care and the attention we pay every day in what we do and how we do it. We are looking at the future imaging new partnership with University and research Institute, to make sure to build together innovations. We are also looking at young generations, trying to leave them with a knowledge about higher care for the society and the environment, and trying to give them the possibilities to grow with us.

  TSA How can industry professionals and consumers get involved and engage with the work you are doing?

  We always love to promote our “open door” policy, and one of our main aims is to welcome anyone that has is curious, or is willing to learn more about leather. We would like to invite professionals and consumers into our plants in Arzignano to experience a day at the tannery. We would like professionals to try our products while sharing the same visions and values. We are here to give you all the explanation you might need and to share our passion and our knowledge.

  To find out more about DANI S.pA and their Zero Impact leather (Zero Impact Leather  & http://www.gruppodani.com) 

  Follow us: @Sustainable_Ang @TheSustainableAngle #futurefabricsexpo

  

  Amanda Johnston of The Sustainable angle talks Supply chain, over consumption and researching sustainable textiles with Harpers Bazaar Argentina:

  It was a great pleasure to be interviewed by Harpers Bazaar Argentina for their November issue, during my recent visit to Argentina to participate in INTERDISENO 2016, the University Network knowledge exchange program. 

  After a hectic day at INTI headquarters, meeting staff teams and delivering a lecture to an audience of SME’s, I met with Harpers magazine’s journalist and photographer in Buenos Aires’ cool Palermo district to share a drink, and to talk about sustainable fashion and textiles, and consumer culture. 

  We discussed the main challenges facing fashion and textiles, and that our industry is ranked the second most polluting in the world. The prevailing economic system that the fast fashion system in the West is perpetrating is counter intuitive; it is the nature of this model that it needs all the time to produce more clothes, and open new stores at an ever increasing pace interested. The consumer is led to believe that clothing should be cheap in relation to other goods, so today it is very difficult to understand true value and the ecological and human cost involved in its production,” The workers who are manufacture our clothes on the other side of the world often do not earn enough to live “

  I explained the work of The Sustainable Angle, and our focus on spotlighting opportunities for change right the way along the supply chain, and showcasing and research into sustainable textiles from around the world. “The textile industry is an opportunity for significant change by itself, but the communication of the message has to be positive regarding the whole product cycle: We can not discharge responsibility for over consumption and fast disposal only on the consumer; all players must play a part in operating responsibly.  “

  Part 2

  At The Sustainable Angle we spend much of our time researching how fashion’s environmental impact can be lowered through textile innovation, and novel ideas to transform the fashion system and design practice. Certifications and standards play a hugely important part in the monitoring and transparency of these innovations and textile practices. Today we are continuing our questions with Christopher Stopes the UK Representative for The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). You will find hundreds of GOTS certified fabrics in the Future Fabrics Expo 25-26th January in London, as well as a preview of a selection of these fabrics in our Future Fabrics Virtual expo available 24hrs online here. If you missed Part 1 you can catch up here

  

  TSA: In debates about more sustainable fibres, cotton is often considered as too ‘thirsty’ and therefore not a viable option for a future with low water tables. Would you say organic cotton is a viable option, though?

  GOTS: Organic cotton uses less water, so it is an obvious choice if you want to be more sustainable. According to a report from MADE-BY for UK government, “Organic cotton production can reduce the toxicity, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of growing cotton and has the potential to deliver added social benefits”. Buying organic cotton has been calculated by the Swiss organisation Helvetas to cut CO₂ emissions by 18% when compared with buying conventional.   

  TSA: As the world’s leading standard for organic textile processing, what is GOTS’ biggest challenge moving forward?

  GOTS: Making sure that the fashion industry cleans up its act through taking on board high standards, such as GOTS, that cover the whole supply chain and are independently certified. We want to make sure that the textile sector (fashion and apparel, work wear and personal care) provides a truly sustainable organic option, using organic approved processing and organically produced fibres. We are not only talking about organic cotton, but organic wool, linen and other organic fibres too.

  

  TSA: Today the fashion industry is said to be the second most polluting industry in the world, next to the oil industry. What do you think are currently the most pressing environmental and social challenges in the fashion and textile industry?

  GOTS: There is an urgent need to work to stop the appalling social conditions in the industry, one that depends too much on child labour, modern slavery, in unsafe buildings and bad working conditions. We see the consumption of cheap clothes on the backs of many people! And there are huge challenges from the highly polluting textile processing plants. GOTS places tight requirements on the permitted chemicals (GOTS exceeds the Greenpeace Detox requirements) and it is mandatory for GOTS certified textile wet-processing plants to have a working water treatment plant.

  TSA: Where do you see the most potential for change in the fashion industry?

  GOTS: Changing consumption patterns, caring for our clothes and making them from high quality organic fibres, in socially and ecologically sustainable value chains. That’s what GOTS is about! And it requires independent third party inspection and certification – so it overcomes one of the huge problems in the fashion industry – greenwash!

  TSA: How do you think initiatives like the Future Fabrics Expo can help organisations such as yours?

  GOTS: The Sustainable Angle and Future Fabrics Expo help spread the word and that means we can work better together and so help make a difference in the fashion industry!

  TSA: How can industry professionals and consumers get involved and engage with the work GOTS do?

  GOTS: Look at our GOTS simple show video to find out more about GOTS. Remember that there are important differences between organic and conventional cotton production and processing. Find out more about GOTS certification through the GOTS website.

  

  We are delighted to introduce seminars at the 6^th Future Fabrics Expo in London, 25-26 Jan’17 10am-5pm., a showcase of 1500+ materials with a lower environmental impact, accompanied by background information on sustainability in fashion.

  Speakers from The Sustainable Apparel Coalition, The Responsible Wool Standard, Textile Exchange, GOTS and DANI S.p.A. Sustainable Leathers will present 30 minute seminars over two days.

  Book tickets here

  

  The Sustainable Wool Standard is an independent, voluntary standard. On farms, the certification ensures that sheep are treated with respect to their Five Freedoms and also ensures best practices in the management and protection of the land. Through the processing stages, certification ensures that wool from certified farms is properly identified and tracked. Find out more about The Sustainable Wool standard here

  The Sustainable Apparel Coalition is the apparel, footwear and home textile industry’s foremost alliance for sustainable production. The Coalition’s main focus is on building the Higg Index, a standardized supply chain measurement tool for all industry participants to understand the environmental, social and labour impacts of making and selling their products and services. By measuring sustainability performance, the industry can address inefficiencies, resolve damaging practices, and achieve the environmental and social transparency that consumers are starting to demand. Find out more about The Sustainable Apparel Coalition here

  The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is recognised as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers. It defines high-level environmental criteria along the entire textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well. Find out more about The Global Organic Textile Standard here

  Textile Exchange is a global non-profit organization that works to make the textile industry more sustainable. We work with everyone involved in making your textiles, including everything from clothes to sheets to towels and more. Together, we’re trying to help the textile world make better decisions so that we’re not only reducing harm to the environment but also bringing about positive change. We identify and share best practices regarding farming, materials and processing so we can reduce the impact on the world’s water, soil, air and human population. Read more about Textile Exchange here

  DANI S.p.A was founded as a small family run tannery in Italy. The company is located in Arzignano (Vicenza), which is the main tanning center in the world. Their leather Zero Impact is chrome free, heavy metal free and complies with the specifications ISO15987. DANI was the first it its field to obtain the “environmental footprint” ISO/TS 14067:2013, an environmental indicator that quantifies the greenhouse gas produced along the whole supply chain, from agriculture to the finished leather. DANI intends to become a point of reference in the tanning industry for the efficient use of natural resources and energy, the use of low-impact chemicals, encouraging suppliers and customers to improve environmental operational practices, starting up research and development projects, transparent communications with local communities and the daily commitment of each and every employee. Read more about DANI S.p.A.’s ‘zero impact leather’ here.

  

  If you are unable to attend the expo, please get in touch to discuss tailored workshops for your company. You can also find a curated selection  of fashion materials with a reduced environmental impact on www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com 

  Follow us: @Sustainable_Ang @TheSustainableAngle #futurefabricsexpo

  In October Amanda Johnston travelled to Amsterdam, to present and showcase a selection of fabrics from The Sustainable Angle’s collection at Modint, the Dutch trade association and consultancy for fashion, interior design, and textiles at their headquarters in Zeist.

  Amanda presented to an audience of SME’s and led an interactive seminar for Modint members about the Sustainable Angle’s material resources, and how to implement more responsible sourcing in their supply chain.

  There was particular interest in recycled textiles, hemp, banana fibre and Pinatex, along with regenerates in innovative blends. The yet to be launched Biopolyester, ‘Ecodear’ from Toray was also a big hit.  The day included presentations from Centexbel, the Belgian textiles research centre, Lenzing fibres explained their closed loop production, and Annet Feenstra from H&M spoke about their sustainable initiatives.

  Modint also facilitated networking for small and larger companies to share their experiences of using alternative materials in their collections. Modint are about to publish their own Sustainable Materials guide and Eco-tool in November 2016 to help their members calculate their company’s impacts.

  A big thanks to Modint for hosting The Sustainable Angle.

  Part 1

  At The Sustainable Angle we spend much of our time researching how fashion’s environmental impact can be lowered through textile innovation, and novel ideas to transform the fashion system and design practice. Certifications and standards play a hugely important part in the monitoring and transparency of these innovations and textile practices. Today we are talking to Christopher Stopes the UK Representative for The Global Organic Textile Standard GOTS. You will find hundreds of GOTS certified fabrics in the Future Fabrics Expo 25-26th January in London, as well as a preview of a selection of these fabrics in our Future Fabrics Virtual expo available 24hrs online here.

  

  TSA: Can you provide an outline of GOTS’ aims?

  GOTS: The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) aims to be the comprehensive ecological and social standard for the entire textile supply chain based on the use of certified organic fibres. It is the gold standard for sustainable organic textiles.

  Organically produced fibre is required in GOTS. This means that on the organic farm no GMOs, no artificial fertilisers and no agro-chemicals are used. Instead certified organic farmers use crop rotation and alternative methods of crop production.

  GOTS covers textile processing, manufacture, labelling and sale of clothes and other products through to the final consumer. Permitted chemicals allowed in textile processing meet stringent criteria for environmental and human health (exceeding Greenpeace Detox requirements).

  There are clear ecological and social benefits from the strict criteria in the standard. Customers can check the certification ID on a GOTS certified product in the GOTS Public Database.

  

  TSA: Can you tell us more about what you think the future looks like for the organic cotton market, in a world where fertile soil is becoming ever more limited and eventually required for increased food production?

  GOTS: It’s really important that we look after our soils and that means fostering natural cycles. Organic farming produces cotton and other fibres in a way that helps protect the environment and enhance biodiversity. The demand for organic cotton is growing steadily as more and more people realise the social and environmental problems with GM and pesticide based cotton. Organic cotton farming depends on crop rotation including food crops, so small farmers benefit from better food security – something that can be really important for them. 

  TSA: With most cotton usually being grown in monocultures, can smaller organic cotton farms ever grow enough cotton to replace what is currently grown in intensive agriculture?

  GOTS: The other way of thinking about that question is whether we can afford to go on as we are! We are consuming cotton too freely, for fast fashion – where we throw away our clothes without a second thought. There is a huge challenge ahead about rethinking our consumption – of food, and fashion, and many other things. Thinking that we can rely on conventional intensive monocultures is old thinking. We can produce enough if we produce with the principals of health, care, ecology and fairness – we just have to look after what we produce!

  TSA: Can you describe your favourite encounter with an organic cotton farmer or other hands-on-experience while working for GOTS?

  GOTS: One of the most inspiring things about organic cotton farming is the stories from small farmers for whom organic production has meant that they can free themselves from the dependency on dangerous pesticides and grow organic cotton and food crops in rotation so helping to feed their families. I love the three great stories from farmers in China, India and Benin in the Soil Association Report Organic Cotton Helps to Feed the World. They really show how organic cotton can make a difference. 

  

  

  Join SUSS UK – the start-up behind this year’s Sustainable September event for a Saturday networking event dedicated to those working within the sustainable industry.  Any brand, big or small, start-up or barely begun, that’s looking to meet likeminded people, expand their contacts within the sustainable industry and form connections for future partnership and collaborations.

  This is a networking event for sustainable fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands to make connections, ask difficult questions and collectively find solutions to the environmental and economic problems facing the industry. Bring yourself, an open mind, the willingness to share ideas, advice and experiences, and a little blurb about who you are, what you do and what you’re trying to achieve.

  

  When

  Saturday 26th November – 11am to 2pm.

  Where

  Work.Life, 1E Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, London, E8 3DQ

  Register at:

  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-fashion-networking-event-tickets-28564083944

  SUSS is the brainchild of fashion designer Abigail Grainger and journalist Emma Grace Bailey. The start-up aims to proactively, through events and media engagement, create awareness of sustainability and environmental issues within the fashion and beauty industries. At the cutting edge of popular culture these industries have a responsibility to educate and inform the general public. SUSS hopes to lead the way in this regard.

  Join SUSS UK on social media

  Instagram: @isusseditout  Facebook: SUSS UK

   

  The Sustainable Angle’s educational consultant and curator Amanda Johnston recently travelled to Argentina to present seminars and participate in workshops during a British Council and London College of Fashion knowledge exchange initiative during DISENO 2016. The program began in Buenos Aires, with a lecture to an audience of SME’s about the issues surrounding the fashion and textiles industries, and to discuss what we can do to reduce our impact on global communities and our environment.

  The talk was part of a series of events during DISENO 2016, organised by INTI, Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Technology Textile department which drew together a network of twenty participants from eight Universities, along with the young creators of start up brands. 

  

  The program then moved on to Tucuman University in the North East of Argentina to meet with the Randera’s; craftswomen continuing the intricate traditional knotted lace making technique of Randa. Following the Randa workshop, which raised issues surrounding authenticity, the preservation of craft and its potential place within a contemporary fashion industry. The team then arrived at the University residence in the breathtaking hills of San Javier for an immersive four days of creative workshops, think tanks and forming of manifesto’s that consider the social, cultural, ethical and ecological considerations of the role of the craftsperson, designer, and the impacts of the fashion industry.  

  This initiative represents an exciting ongoing opportunity for exchanging knowledge and exploring education for sustainability across borders and cultures.

  Education plays a vital role in moving the industry towards a more sustainable future, and we look forward to continuing to contribute to the debates and innovative development being initiated as a result of the increasing challenges our world is facing.

   

  At the Sustainable Angle we spend much of our time researching and sourcing innovative textiles and materials with a lower environmental footprint and reducing the fashion industry’s over-dependency on conventional cotton and polyester. These materials are showcased in the annual Future Fabrics Expo as well as in workshops and Pop ups throughout the year, and a curated selection on www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com. This year we are delighted to have Orange Fiber’s innovations included in the 6th Future Fabrics Expo 25 – 26th January 2017. 

  In a time where fertile land is fast becoming a limited natural resource, innovative solutions are needed. The Italian Start-up Orange Fiber uses citrus waste, a by-product from the Italian juice industry to produce high quality textile fibres with a low environmental impact.

  Sicily has a massive production of citrus juice, which every year also leaves around 700 tons of waste materials.

  The two co-founders of Orange Fiber, Adriana Santanocito and Enrica Arena, saw the potential in this and developed a system where Orange Fiber converts orange peels, a by-product from the Sicilian juice industry, into high qualitative cellulose fibres. The Sustainable Angle asked Orange Fiber a few questions about their innovation and what they believe the future holds for the textile industry.

  

  TSA: Can you provide a brief outline about what Orange Fiber is and how it has evolved since its inception?

  OF: Orange Fiber is an Italian company that uses an innovative process to creates sustainable textiles for Fashion from citrus fruit by-products. Having created a supply chain network with partner companies we opened the first industrial plant in Sicily and produced different prototypes. The first textile production has been completed and some interesting top fashion brand proposals are being evaluated in view of entering the market by 2016.

  TSA: What first inspired you to start to develop Orange Fiber?

  OF: Orange Fiber’s idea is the result of a deep love for our homeland of Sicily, blended with the desire to innovate in a sustainable way; the Italian industry, known for its excellence in textile production.

  The Orange Fiber supply chain from citrus by-product through spinning, weaving and finishing is our contribution towards sustainable fashion practice and economic, social and environmental development.

  In 2011, Adriana Santanocito was studying Fashion Design and innovative materials at Afol Moda Institute of Milan, when she heard of the sustainable textiles trend, and decided to explore the subject in her thesis. By simply discussing this with citrus juice producers she discovered the problem behind the disposal of citrus waste and had the intuition to transform citrus juice by-products into a new product that would represent a brand new opportunity for Italian tradition in high quality fashion textiles. She shared the idea with Enrica Arena, and with creativity and will, they started Orange Fiber.

  TSA: Can you tell us about any positive environmental / social impacts you have seen or expect to see as a result of Orange Fiber?

  OF: Our innovative and patented process reduces the cost and the environmental impact of pollution related to the industrial waste of citrus juicing, by extracting a raw material apt for spinning. Our solution offers the opportunity to satisfy the increasing need of cellulose for textile, thus preserving natural resources. This process reuses waste products, saves land, water and environmental pollution.TSA: At the moment Orange Fiber is a very new and small-scale innovation. How do you expect it to be used by the industry in the future?

  OF: We will complete the process of research and development, optimise the cost of production and start replicating the plant in Italy and abroad.  Italy produces just 4% of the worlds citrus juice, so the opportunities to replicate the process are endless, and will allow us to lower the product price, becoming competitive with materials such as polyester and cotton. TSA: The fashion and textiles industries are some of the worst offenders out there for negative environmental and social impact. What do you think are the most pressing environmental and social challenges that we are facing in the industry?

  OF: The most pressing environmental and social challenges that we are facing in the industry have to do with natural resources, protection and conservation along with the adoption of ethical business models. Considering the human cost of manufacturing clothing is as crucial as profit. In particular, fashion and textiles industries have to work to:

  • develop new and more sustainable raw materials
  • use recycled and innovative materials
  • build sustainable supply chains
  • embrace ethical business models
  • consider the human cost of manufacturing clothing and protect workers
  • reduce or eliminate toxic chemical use
  • preserve and protect water
  • minimise gas emissions
  • educate designers to adopt sustainable materials in the creative process
  • educate consumer behaviour and shopping habits, encouraging conscious and sustainable attitude.

  TSA: What do you think is the biggest obstacle to becoming a more sustainable and less harmful industry?

  OF: We believe that the biggest obstacle for the fashion industry is the fast fashion and high volume consumerist approach we have come to see. This supply chain reduces R&D and sustainability efforts in order to keep low price points and give consumers more choice.

  TSA: What are your plans moving forward?

  OF: Since we strongly believe that “the future is not a place we’re going to, but a place we create”, we will continue to research and develop products and new raw materials, working on industrial scale-up and improving our process according to circular economy principles. Our aim is to establish Orange Fiber as the first Italian brand to move into the sustainable textiles industry, through “green” production from renewable sources and contribute to creating a greener fashion industry.

  TSA: How can industry professionals and consumers get involved and engage with the work you are doing?

  OF: We are creating a B2B2C product addressing the need of fashion brands to use a high quality sustainable and innovative textile for their collections and the need of the consumer to have access to high quality sustainable clothing. Establishing Orange Fiber as an Ingredient Brand, we aim to get involved and engage with industry professionals and consumers working on the added value of the fiber origin and its environmental and social sustainability.
  

   

  At The Sustainable Angle we spend much of our time researching and sourcing both innovative and sustainable materials to showcase in the annual Future Fabrics Expo. We show a wide range of alternatives with a lower environmental and social impact to cotton, polyester and conventional leather. These materials are also shown in other events and workshops throughout the year, and on www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com.

  Atlantic Leather is an Icelandic tannery leading in manufacturing exotic leather from fish-skin which are waste products from the food industry. No fish used are endangered species. The fish-leather is produced from four different species of fish; Salmon, perch, wolffish and cod – each with its own unique characteristics –  in a diverse range of colours, textures and finishes, all have been tested by the European Chemical Agency.  Atlantic Leather is stationed in Sauðárkrókur, a small but vibrant community of roughly 4000 inhabitants, located in the heart of Skagafjörður, Iceland. The development of the fish leather has been processed since 1994, but the idea itself is rooted in tradition.

  

  We have been lucky enough to interview Atlantic leather’s Manager Sigurlaug Vordís Eysteinsdóttir, to find out more about Atlantic Leather, and how fashion businesses and consumers cannot only use this material but visit where it is made.

  TSA: Firstly, can you tell us what sustainability means to Atlantic Leather?

  Atlantic Leather: Sustainability means the power of nature to us at Atlantic Leather. Respect nature and it’s power.

  TSA: Can you provide a brief outline about the products Atlantic Leather creates, and what makes them more sustainable than other leathers?

  Atlantic Leather: We produce Salmon, Perch, Cod and Wolffish leather from the by-product from the food industry. We also produce washable Salmon and Salmon tanned from the bark of the Mimosa tree. We turn waste products from the food industry into exotic luxury leather by using the power of nature. In Iceland we are fortunate to have plenty of hot water from geothermal sources, and our electricity comes from a hydroelectric power station. So we rely on the power of nature; exotic and eco-friendly.

   

   

  TSA: What was the inspiration behind using fish skins to create leather for the fashion industry?

  Atlantic Leather: Icelanders are known for reusing everything that others think is trash and we still have our ancestor’s spirit of finding the useful in everything. Iceland is a big fishing industry nation, our ancestors used the fish skins for their shoes, so the inspiration was, find a use for 100% of each fish Icelanders catch and Icelanders are on our way to completing that task, Atlantic Leather is a big part of that project.

  TSA: Can you tell us about any positive environmental / social impacts you have seen or expect to see as a result of Atlantic Leather?

  Atlantic Leather: Firstly, we don’t have any leather from endangered species, many designers have gone from snake skin to our Salmon skin for example. Atlantic Leather is the only tannery in Iceland and is based in the north of Iceland in a society with a population of 4000. Atlantic Leather was voted the best Tannery of the year in the European section that is a big recognition in our small country. Our leather is inspiring for people, we have so many colours and varieties of finish.

  TSA: The fashion and textiles industries are some of the worst offenders out there for negative environmental and social impact. What do you think are the most pressing environmental and social challenges that we are facing in the industry?

  Atlantic Leather: Money is the most challenging thing for tanneries. It costs a lot to be sustainable and because we are, then it makes our products expensive in the end. It is also important to stop playing hide and seek and start to open the tanneries up to customers so they can see it with their own eyes and be informed about sustainability. To be truly environmental you have to not be afraid to inform how you carry out the task, and when asked ethical questions, not being afraid of the answer.

  TSA: What do you think is the biggest obstacle to becoming a more sustainable and less harmful industry?

  

  Atlantic Leather: Again Money, For Atlantic Leather being stated in Iceland is our biggest obstacle but is also our biggest advantage

  TSA: What are your plans moving forward?

  Atlantic Leather: Just keeping up our 20-year process in our tanning product, keeping up our developments, and marketing our products more.

  TSA: How can industry professionals and consumers get involved and engage with the work you are doing?

  Atlantic Leather: Everybody is welcome to visit our tannery, they are able to order sample pack from us, we can ship all over the world, We are on social media, and visit our stand at The Future Fabric Expo☺

   

  Get wise, buy better, make a difference – Last week The Sustainable Angle joined an event held by SUSS as part of #SustainableSeptember, to raise awareness on how you as an everyday consumer could be part of creating a more ethical fashion industry. Designer Abigail Grainger and journalist Emma Grace Baily, the brains behind SUSS, created the start-up to be able to proactively, through events and media engagement, create awareness of sustainability and environmental issues within the fashion and beauty industries. At the cutting edge of popular culture, these industries have a responsibility to educate and inform the general public.

  

  SUSS invited 10 speakers from across all areas of the sustainable fashion industry to participate in two events to share their knowledge and expertise on the current status of the fashion industry, and from their perspective, what we need to know and do in order to make it more ethical. On September 22^nd the second #SustainableSeptember event was held and The Sustainable Angle’s materials curator and education consultant Amanda Johnston was invited to talk during the event. Amanda emphasised why we need to reconsider the materials we choose to design with and wear and what some of the best emerging alternatives to conventional cotton and polyester are.

  Also invited to talk at SUSS’s events were Diana Auria, founder of Auria Swimwear, the dynamic and creative brand whose ethical values have put the brand at the forefront of sustainable fashion. Amisha Ghadiali, founder of the Think Act Vote project and author of the brilliant book The Future is Beautiful, and Fashion Historian and Associate Lecturer at the London College of Arts, Amber Butchart.

  Sustainable September is a movement designed to educate and empower everyday consumers, providing the knowledge and tools to inform better purchasing decisions for a healthier planet. As a designer or other professional working within the fashion industry, you often are well-aware about the environmental and social impact the industry has and what concerted action is needed, meanwhile as a consumer it is not always as clear what that role should be. By being well-informed and equipped with certain skills, we as consumers could act proactively and demand ethical fashion.

  

  #SustainableSeptember is a month to raise awareness with the consumer market, led by SUSS. Check out hashtags from the event #isusseditout and #sustainableseptember and join @isusseditout on Instagram to get more information about future events. 

  We’re delighted to announce that we’re joining Sustainable September – a month to raise awareness within the consumer market, led by SUSS, the brainchild of fashion designer Abigail Grainger and journalist Emma Grace Bailey. The start-up aims to proactively, through events and media engagement, create awareness of sustainability and environmental issues within the fashion and beauty industries. At the cutting edge of popular culture these industries have a responsibility to educate and inform the general public.

  

  Image: SUSS UK 1st #SustainableSeptember talk 2016

  Sustainable September is the first of these initiatives. A movement designed to educate the everyday consumer, providing the knowledge and tools to inform better purchasing decisions for a healthier and happier planet. 10 speakers from across all areas of the sustainable fashion industry are talking about everything from the need for transparency through to the must have brands, where to shop, activism within fashion, the future of fabrics, the dirty side of denim and how the active industry is one step ahead in the quest to be sustainable.

  The Sustainable Angle’s materials curator and education consultant Amanda Johnston will be speaking at the 2^nd #SustainableSeptember event on 20^th September to discuss why we need to reconsider the materials we choose to design with and wear – and what some of the best emerging alternatives to conventional cotton and polyester are.

  Other speakers include the likes of Carry Somers, founder of Fashion Revolution, Tamsin Lejeune, founder of the Ethical Fashion Forum, and Amisha Ghadiali, author of The Future is Beautiful.

  

  Image: SUSS UK

  Designed to raise awareness and promote a more considerate lifestyle, SUSS UK wants to help people Get Wise, Buy Better and Make a Difference.

  Join us using the hashtags #isusseditout and #sustainableseptember to share what you’re up to reduce your environmental impact, sharing a photo of yourself with the strapline #isusseditout.

  Last week The Sustainable Angle’s founder and director Nina Marenzi took part in a panel discussion around ‘Sustainability: Supply chain problem or design opportunity?’ as part of WGSN Futures, a series of talks and discussions which ran over two days with the theme ‘The Vision 2030: how technology will drive a more sustainable and more successful creative industry.’

  

  Staged by the world’s leading trend authority, WGSN Futures 2016 brought together leaders from fashion and the creative sectors to debate and define the key trends that will shape the industry over the next 15 years. The talks explored the major trends in design, technology & communications, consumer behaviour and retail, presented by global industry thought leaders and WGSN experts.

  The flagship summit took place in London, where 300 senior-level delegates in the fields of strategy (c-suite), design, marketing, retail and digital gathered to hear WGSN’s own experts and analysts and a panel of world-class industry experts share their insights.

  

  Amy White, Christopher Raeburn, Nina Marenzi, and Orsola de Castro

  The panel discussion on sustainability took place between Nina Marenzi from The Sustainable Angle, Orsola de Castro of Fashion Revolution, designer Christopher Raeburn, and Amy White from Avery Dennison, a world leader in supply chain solutions working with some of the world’s leading emerging designers to help them introduce sustainability into the design process. Last year we announced our partnership with Avery Dennison, intended to provide leading apparel brands with innovative sustainable solutions by combining the unique capabilities and expertise of each company to drive the future use of new sustainable materials in apparel branding.

  The panel addressed the idea that for brands to start being more sustainable it’s key to begin by stating a vision of what they are trying to achieve to be more responsible, rather than immediately defining specific targets which may not be reachable. Design should take centre stage, with sustainability as a design constraint leading to more responsible decisions. Finally recognising the power of communication, Orsola voiced a wish that those brands already working with sustainability at the core of their business would be more vocal, coming forward to share what they already do to be more responsible – after all the industry is on a journey, for which transparency and collaboration is essential.

  This year we’re planning to broaden the focus of the 5th Future Fabrics Expo, which concentrates on the showcasing of world leading material innovations and commercially available fabrics with a reduced environmental impact. In addition to the more than thousand internationally sourced sustainable materials we’ll be showcasing, we’ll also be shining a spotlight on some of the strongest young designers creating fashion with sustainability principles firmly embedded in their conception and supply chains.

  The 5th Future Fabrics Expo will provide a platform for Redress’ The EcoChic Design Award’s designs to be showcased, highlighting both creative and desirable ways to produce fashion with less harmful environmental and social impacts through the reduction of waste.

  You can find out more about Redress and The EcoChic Design Award below.

  

  Redress EcoChic Design Award 2014/15 finalists photoshoot. Photography by Tim Wong.

  Redress is an NGO with a mission to promote environmental sustainability in the fashion industry by reducing textile waste, pollution, water and energy consumption. They achieve this by educational sustainable fashion shows, exhibitions, competitions, seminars, research and via their recycled clothing standard. They collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, including fashion designers, textile and garment manufacturers, brands and retailers, schools and universities, multilateral organisations, governments, NGOs, financial institutions and media organisations. Working with their partners, Redress aims to enhance, educate and enable the adoption of a more sustainable fashion industry.

  

  The EcoChic Design Award is a sustainable fashion design competition inspiring emerging fashion designers and students to create mainstream clothing with minimal textile waste. Each competition cycle takes designers on an education and design journey lasting several theory and design-packed months. Firstly, Redress educate designers about the fashion industry’s negative environmental impacts and the sustainable fashion design techniques, zero-waste, up-cycling and reconstruction that can combat this. Secondly, Redress provide designers with the tools, via lectures, videos, articles and recommended links, in order to develop their understanding of sustainable fashion design. They also challenge them to source textile waste, in its many forms, to enable them to transition towards sustainable design and sourcing. Only then do we put designers to the ultimate test – to cut waste out of fashion – in our standout sustainable design competition. This puts sustainable design talent in the spotlight and rewards the best with career-changing prizes to change the pattern of fashion.

  

  EcoChic Design Award winner 2014/15 Kevin Germanier

  Redress can be seen at the 5th Future Fabrics Expo on 29th – 30th September 2015, remember to register for your free pass!

  We are delighted to announce a new official partnership between ourselves, The Sustainable Angle, and Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS), a global leader in apparel branding, labeling, packaging, embellishments, and RFID solutions. This partnership is intended to provide leading apparel brands with innovative sustainable solutions, and  will combine the unique capabilities and expertise of each company to drive the future use of new sustainable materials in apparel branding.

  We will be researching and curating innovative fabrics with a reduced environmental footprint, which will be showcased in RBIS’ Customer Design & Innovation Centers (CDIC) in Los Angeles, USA and Sprockhovel Germany, in a similar format to our annual Future Fabrics Expo.

  Future Fabrics Expo 2014

  Static exhibitions in the CDIC will initially feature alternatives to standard leather and performance fabrics, together with accompanying information regarding their sustainability and innovation credentials. Through this collaboration, The Sustainable Angle and RBIS will provide leading brands and retailers with valuable insight into future fabrics and sustainable branding alternatives.

  “With sustainability deeply rooted in the fabric of our culture, we couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with The Sustainable Angle to further our vision to provide intelligent, creative, and sustainable solutions,” said Helen Sahi, Director, Sustainability, Avery Dennison. “By giving our customers access to a unique range of sustainable materials, we’re helping to elevate their brands and reduce their environmental footprint.”

  “The Sustainable Angle is delighted to announce the partnership with Avery Dennison RBIS, a company that continuously aims to improve the sustainability of their products and processes.” said Nina Marenzi, Director of The Sustainable Angle. “We are excited to contribute innovative textiles with a lower environmental impact to put together an inspiring, thought-provoking and informative display.”

  In addition, Avery Dennison RBIS will utilize their design expertise, extensive sustainable materials portfolio and lean manufacturing footprint to create and produce the merchandising and communication mechanism for all of the fabrics in our portfolio. Both the compressed Kraft and Post Consumer Waste (PCW) mix ‘Hanger’ and paperboard ‘Header’ card have been designed to optimise manufacturing efficiency and reduce waste. The ‘Header’ card is printed digitally, using conscious and informative branding to complement our products and further reinforce our sustainable partnership.

  About The Sustainable Angle

  The Sustainable Angle is an award winning not for profit organization which initiates and supports projects which contribute to minimizing the environmental impact of industry and society. Their biggest project to date, the F uture Fabrics Expo, focuses on the fashion industry and how its environmental impact can be lowered through innovation in the textile industry, and novel ideas to transform the fashion system and design practice. The Future Fabrics Expo has taken place every year since 2011 showcasing hundreds of different types of fabrics and materials for fashion with a reduced environmental impact, which are of highest quality and innovation. These materials are globally sourced from more than 50 mills around the world. Learn more at www.thesustainableangle.org.

  About Avery Dennison RBIS

  Avery Dennison RBIS, a global leader in apparel and footwear industry solutions, is a $1.6 billion division of Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY). Avery Dennison RBIS provides intelligent creative and sustainable solutions that elevate brands and accelerate performance throughout the global retail supply chain. We elevate brands through graphic tickets, tags and labels, embellishments and packaging solutions that enhance consumer appeal. We accelerate performance through RFID enabled inventory and loss prevention solutions, price management, global compliance, and brand security solutions. Based in Westborough, Massachusetts, Avery Dennison RBIS responsibly serves the global marketplace with operations in 115 locations, 50 countries, across 6 continents. For more information, visit www.rbis.averydennison.com and follow RBIS on Twitter and Instagram @AvyDenRBIS.

  About Avery Dennison

  Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY) is a global leader in labeling and packaging materials and solutions. The company’s applications and technologies are an integral part of products used in every major market and industry. With operations in more than 50 countries and more than 25,000 employees worldwide, Avery Dennison serves customers with insights and innovations that help make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company reported sales from continuing operations of $6.3 billion in 2014. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.

  Keep up-to-date with us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

  written by Charlotte Turner

  The brand new SCAP Extending the Life of Clothes Design Awards (SCAP ELC Awards) is looking for designers to develop innovative solutions to clothes that are wearable for longer. The winner will receive £5,000 and the opportunity to progress their work and develop it for a commercial market.

  SCAP ELC Awards is being brought to you by WRAP, the organisation behind the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) and Love Your Clothes, with support from Defra, British Fashion Council, The Knowledge Transfer Network, InnovateUK and ModeConnect.

  The SCAP ELC Awards will challenge designers to address the key reasons for garment failure, which lead to items being thrown away. The concepts not only need to achieve solutions to longer life times, but also deliver ideas that are fashionable and saleable.

  ‘Extending the life of clothes’ is a key focus for the sector commitment, SCAP 2020, with many retailers, brands and even reprocessers signed up to it; all aiming to reduce the environmental impacts of clothes. (SCAP 2020 signatories and supporters include Stella McCartney, ASOS, John Lewis, M&S, Ted Baker and Whistles.)

  Marcus Gover, WRAP Director and ELC Awards judge, said: “This is a great opportunity for designers to bring this issue to life. By applying their creativity and innovation to either sourcing or developing low impact, high quality fibres, and engineering garments that will last longer, they can instigate real change.

  “We need the sector to embrace this new approach to designing clothes.”

  Resources Management Minister Dan Rogerson said: “I’m delighted to support the launch of this award which celebrates the vital role designers have to play in developing and promoting sustainable fashion. Their innovations can bring us closer to a more circular economy which will benefit both businesses and the environment.”

  All submissions will be assessed by a panel of judges made up of industry professionals and academics that collectively hold a wide range of knowledge and expertise in the sector, including The Sustainable Angle’s curator and educational consultant Amanda Johnston, who is also a Lecturer at the London College of Fashion.

  All interested applicants must register by 24 November 2014. For details on how to register and to view the full awards brief and supporting information please visit www.wrap.org.uk/scap-elc-awards.

  Follow the progress and get involved on Twitter by using #design4longevity.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  

  For those who couldn’t make it (and those who could), we wanted to share news about the 4th Future Fabrics Expo, which was just successfully hosted for the second time inside Fashion SVP at London Olympia. We were visited by hundreds of fashion and textiles professionals, as well as students who will soon be bringing this sustainable sourcing knowledge to jobs throughout the industry.

  If you missed the expo, you can still visit www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com all year round to discover a wide range of the fabrics on display at the expo, plus tools and resources to help on the journey to reducing the environmental impact of your supply chain. You can also get in touch  to discuss tailored hands on workshops and presentations for your company or event.

  This was a record year for the Future Fabrics Expo, which received over a thousand registrations from leading high street, luxury and start up brands, as well as educational, government, and NGO organisations, showing that there is most certainly a growing desire to understand and learn about what our clothes are made of.

  The Future Fabrics Expo was shown to be a key platform for showcasing both sustainable textiles, and initiatives and tools from a range of organisations such as WRAP’s Knowledge Hub, String3 by Historic Futures, and ground-breaking research projects from the Royal College of Art and London College of Fashion.

  A key focus for the 4^th Future Fabrics Expo was on supply chain traceability, showcasing mapping and connecting tools from Historic Futures, and the FireUP project from UAL. In addition, Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) was showcased, resulting in a broad showcase of projects and tools addressing all areas of the textile and fashion value chain. Examples of CmiA fabrics from some of their dozens of member producers were on show – you can find a full list of CmiA producers via their website.

  We additionally presented a seminar on ‘building sustainabiltiy into your textile buying’, exploring how to assess fabrics in relation to sustainability, avoiding pitfalls when sourcing sustainably, and developments of the sustainable textiles market.

  This year the expo was generously sponsored by Kassim Denim and Elmer & Zweifel, also sponsors of the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo (www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com), our online sustainable fabrics sourcing tool available throughout the year.

  If you are looking to source sustainable fabrics in low quantities, we will soon launch a fabrics sourcing pool hosted on www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com, to allow smaller companies and emerging designers to purchase fabrics with a reduced environmental impact at manageable quantities. The launch will be announced via our periodic newsletter in the coming weeks so sign up now to make sure you don’t miss out – we’ll also be sharing information about the latest fabrics to be added to the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo.

  The 4th Future Fabrics Expo was generously sponsored by Kassim Textiles and Elmer & Zweifel.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  With only days to go before the 4th Future Fabrics Expo opens at London Olympia Exhibition Centre (28th-30th September), we’re looking forward to showcasing some other organisations that are doing important work in the field of sustainable fashion and textiles, along with our core showcase of globally sourced reduced impact fabrics.

  One of these organisations is Historic Futures, who have spent more than 10 years exploring value chain transparency and traceability. This work is integral to knowing more about where our products come from, how they are made, and the impact they are having on both the environment and on global communities.

  Historic Futures are currently developing String3, so we spoke to co-founder and director Tim Wilson to find out more, and we found what he had to say so interesting that you can read it in full here.

  TSA: What was the motivation to start Historic Futures and to work on improving supply chain transparency?
  HF: I had been working in the value chain / traceability area for many years and realised there were no solutions focusing simply on getting reliable data from the whole chain without linking to specific product or production systems (e.g. organic). The triggering event – to actually get started – was a conversation with Nike that demonstrated how difficult it was to collect reliable data from the value chain.

  TSA: Historic Futures makes it possible for companies to collect and manage value chain data – can you tell us a bit about how you do this?
  The basic concept is very simple, and is analogous to situations we all face everyday. I need to speak to somebody at Company X about their new product, but I don’t have their contact details. I could ask my colleague sitting next to me, who has read about Company X, what they know about this new product and just go with that. It’s really quick and easy, and they probably know more than I do. But if I want to rely on the information – to write an article in the press, or to use in a presentation perhaps, then I’d want to speak to someone who really knows, inside Company X. It’s the same problem with value chains. I need to know the country of origin of the raw materials used in my product – because my brand has made a commitment on this, or because the law now requires me to know. I could ask my supplier – who sells me the finished goods – that’s quick and easy and they probably know more that I do, but I can’t rely on the information. Our String3 system fixes that problem – I send my question to my supplier inside String3, and it provides the tools for my supplier to send it on to their supplier. There might have been several suppliers and even they don’t actually work with the raw materials. String3 makes it simple for everyone to keep passing the question on until it gets to those who really know the answer. Sounds very simple, in reality the system is quite sophisticated – making sure that only the answer to the question is ever shared, not the details of each actor in the chain, keeping people informed of progress, benchmarking performance and so on.

  TSA: You’re currently developing the newest phase of String, what will this be able to offer clients?
  HF: String3 – the service we are working on now – will make it simple and efficient for people to find information about how and where their products were made. It will save them time and provide answers which are more reliable than other methods. Interestingly it will also provide a means to benchmark supplier performance – clearly identifying which suppliers and value chains are good at providing this information, driving continuous improvement. Crucially for suppliers, the service can be used free of charge and it does not disclose sourcing details to customers – so suppliers can confidently use the system to help their customers get answers to legitimate questions about raw material country of origin or value chain certification status.

  TSA: We’re looking forward to showcasing Historic Futures at the Future Fabrics Expo, which is geared towards the fashion and textiles industries – can you tell us about some of the work you have done in these industries?
  HF: We’ve been working in fashion and textiles for nearly 12 years – since the very beginnings of HF. During that time we have delivered projects for many of the world’s leading brands. Those projects have ranged from strategy formulation to large scale data collection and reporting – all focused on value chain mapping, to understand how and where products were made.

  TSA: Are there some positive impacts you have seen from your work that you can tell us about?
  HF: We’ve seen benefits across the entire value chain from better, bolder claims about finished goods for brands, to improved relationships between supplier and customer for sourcing agents, to improved inventory control and “right first time” rates for manufacturers. We’ve seen suppliers get new business through being able to deliver value chain information and improved efficiency in differentiated raw materials such as organic cotton or recycled polyester. There are many ways that reliable value chain data can deliver benefits, but the area that seems to be the most consistent across geographies and sectors is this ability to obtain reliable data – when needed – for products that contain raw materials where country of origin or compliance with some 3rd party standard is important.

  TSA: What do you think are the biggest obstacles with incorporating more sustainable materials into supply chains of different sized companies?
  HF: Sustainable materials is a difficult term – I’m not sure anybody really knows what it means – but there are clearly important choices to be made about materials and production processes in terms of the impact they have on people, planet and profit. For buyers, understanding what’s in your product – and whether it’s what you specified – is a critical first step. For suppliers, being able to demonstrate good practice and regulatory compliance throughout the value chain quickly and efficiently is vital if better performing materials are to become mainstream.

  You can learn about String3 at the 4th Future Fabrics Expo on 28th – 30th September at Olympia Exhibition Centre, London. We’ll be showcasing the work of several organisations and projects, as well as hundreds of individually sourced and researched materials with a reduced environmental impact.

  Register for free here

  written by Charlotte Turner

  As one of the companies featured on our sustainable textiles sourcing website Future Fabrics Virtual Expo, we wanted to introduce natural dye studio Bougainvillea Couture, which was founded in 2011 by UK based and renowned textile designer Luiven Rivas-Sanchez. Bougainvillea Couture produces limited edition ranges of sustainable luxurious fashion accessories, ensembles and fabrics using premium natural materials, responsibly and globally sourced from all over the world.

  We spoke with Luiven to find out more about Bougainvillea Couture, sustainability in relation to textiles production and finishing, and what needs to improve in the fashion and textile industry.

  Luiven explained that “Bougainvillea Couture engages in holistic and generative textile processes that transcend design trends. We work with a dedicated team of textile experts, designers, artists and practitioners. Together, we source the finest fabrics worldwide to selectively and sustainably hand dye and treat cloth. With craftsmanship and intimacy at the helm, every fabric and accessory created under the Bougainvillea Couture label, meets with uncompromising standards of sustainable assurance and ethical excellence, key factors we believe have been stripped away by a fashion industry with imperatives leaning towards speed and low cost.”

  You can read the full conversation below…

  TSA: What was the motivation to start Bougainvillea Couture?
  BC: Being trained in design, the motivation to found Bougainvillea Couture was firstly based mainly on aesthetics. However, as we became more aware of textile pollution, our design ethos and rationale consequently changed.

  TSA: How has your work with natural dyes evolved since its inception?
  BC: Our work with natural dyes has come a long way. We are in a position to develop dyeing strategies and invest in lower impact methods of fabric production. It is a team effort that requires constant research and nourishment.

  TSA: What first inspired you to start working on improving sustainability in the fashion / textiles industries?
  BC: Colour, and the way it can be used to improve textile dyeing strategies without compromising the environment.

  TSA: Can you explain how do you classify ‘sustainability’ in relation to your work?
  BC: At Bougainvillea Couture, we aim to be as innovative and sustainable as we possibly can, for us sustainability means the ability to design and produce high end fabrics using low impact dyeing methods and techniques.

  TSA: Can you provide an outline of your project?
  BC: Our project is based on long term ideals. We have a vision to develop a range of sustainable fabrics and fashion accessories for men and women using sustainable guidelines. We work closely with practitioners and suppliers and have huge respect for them. It is part of the sustainable strategy we support, and one of the reasons that makes us proud of what we do and produce.

  TSA: What do you hope the work of Bougainvillea Couture will improve in the industry?
  BC: Because of the amount of chemical dyeing processes remaining unchanged, with critical high levels of pollution still affecting our eco-systems, we hope that our revised dyeing guidelines will eventually make a difference.

  TSA: Can you tell us about any positive impact you have seen from your work?
  BC: Yes, the way our customer base see textiles through our work is slowly changing. They understand more about how it is made and are more respectful of our ideals and goals.

  TSA: What do you think are the most pressing environmental and social challenges in the industry currently?
  BC: Chemical pollution is still top of the agenda, the elevated cost of sustainable organic materials, and lack of respect towards the lower tier members of the supply chain continue to negatively affect the industry. Practical and feasible changes are needed to achieve higher standards of textile and social sustainability.

  TSA: What would you like to see happen more in the fashion and textiles industries?
  BC: We would like more comprehensive dialogue and collaborations between textile manufacturers, suppliers, scientists, designers and consumers.

  TSA: Are there any common misconceptions about sustainability in fashion and textiles that you’d like to talk about?
  BC: There is this huge misconception that sustainability is fashion exclusive and part of a trend. To us, sustainability means consumption in dire need of reassessment, purely to avoid further environmental disasters, if not for us, for future generations. To widely address and embrace sustainable issues, the industry and consumers need to take a more holistic approach to clothing.

  TSA: Do you see designers and practitioners becoming more sustainable in your eyes, and how?
  BC: The potential is huge, but only if their general views of sustainability are pragmatic and their goals are realistically achievable, slow and long term planning is part of our mantra.

  TSA: In your opinion, who will primarily facilitate change in the supply chain?
  BC: We believe the biggest onus lies within the manufacturing industry, but designers need to work closely with them, it needs to be a symbiotic relationship. The consumer tends to be price driven.

  TSA: Do you have any events or courses coming up where people can connect with you?
  BC: Yes, we have started running sustainable dyeing workshops, and have plans to develop and expand on this.

  You can see a range of Bougainvillea Couture’s naturally hand dyed fabrics on the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo. Keep an eye on the blog and twitter for news of upcoming sustainable dyeing workshops.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  As the researcher and project manager at The Sustainable Angle, I was recently invited to present a sustainable sourcing workshop to fashion start-up companies at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London, as part of the Creative Hub project led by the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. I was delighted to take part to provide guidance on sourcing more sustainably, alongside a tailored series of talks on design strategy, manufacturing, and brand values and communication.

  The Creative Hub is a new business-mentoring scheme run from the Fashion and Textiles Museum, with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion offering tailored business support to 30 fashion businesses over the next year. They selected “beneficiaries with an interest in and commitment to doing things differently, those who are willing and able to explore and instigate new business models; those with genuine creative flair and those who understand that good business involves 360 vision.”

  This one-day workshop was designed to provide a snapshot analysis of the opportunities sustainability can provide for a new business, and the starting points for integrating sustainability into the design and business planning process.

  As materials are often the starting point when considering sustainability in a design business, the sustainable sourcing session delivered by The Sustainable Angle provided simple framework for sustainable materials and supplier sourcing, as well as showcasing over a hundred sustainable textiles samples. The presentation included:

  • Sustainable materials – an overview of how and why we need to rethink the materials and processes we use in fashion and clothing production
  • Measurements and guidelines – What benchmarks exist and how can we best use them to our advantage
  • Today / Tomorrow – How do we improve our sourcing practices / who should be involved?
  • Fabric showcase ‐ What is available and a discussion of commercial viability and questions to ask mills and suppliers

  It is exciting to see the diverse and boundary pushing ideas being explored by start-ups and small businesses, and so we hope that initiatives like Creative Hub, and sustainable sourcing platforms like the Future Fabrics Expo and online Future Fabrics Virtual Expo will continue to equip designers, buyers, product developers and more with the knowledge, resources and skills needed to run their businesses in the most sustainable ways possible.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  Considering the abundance of design talent that has been seen recently from fashion graduates around the country, we wanted to share news of a collaboration between The Sustainable Angle, international denim company Kassim Textiles, and the London College of Fashion.

  Through the Future Fabrics Expo, The Sustainable Angle facilitated the sponsorship of the latest project from LCF’s MA Fashion Futures course. Kassim Textiles generously sponsored the project by providing sustainable organic denims for the students to visualize their explorations of the parameters and practices used to make and wear fashion.

  The projects, including Bodies of Work / Body Cut by Katharina Thiel, and Wearable Data by Caroline Yan Zheng, explored themes surrounding our relationship with fashion and the body (Theil), and engaging in speculative design to catalyse social discussion and debate (Zheng). Zheng and Thiel’s work was displayed in an exhibition at the Garden Museum.

  Garden Museum Exhibition, Kat Thiel

  Caroline Yan Zheng said: “As part of the Fashion & Gardens programme at the Garden Museum London, the LCF MA Fashion and Environment course had the opportunity to create garments practicing sustainable approaches. Kassim Textiles kindly supported us with their sustainable denim fabrics.

  My personal approach is an on-going project, exercising the practice of speculative design. The aim of the project is to use design as a media to catalyze social discussion and debate over what life could be in the near future, to explore how to create clothes that make people think. The modern economies rely heavily on the development of science and technology, and while there is generally an overwhelming hail of all the benefits brought by them, the other doubtful impacts are less discussed. While clothes’ role in modern economy is normally to encourage consumption, this collection hopes to make people think about their possible form and identity in the manipulation of technologies. The purpose is not to indicate what is right and what is wrong, but only to encourage reflection, to make fashion participate in social debate.

  My research on speculative design will carry further to form my masters project, which explores values and identity by visualizing data in 2D and 3D forms, realized in knitwear.”

  Work by Caroline Yan Zhieng

  Sohail Ahmed from Kassim Textiles commented that “We at Kassim Textiles always believe in progress, and on this belief when we were approached by the Sustainable Angle to assist the students of LCF, we felt obligated to participate in these projects. This was our way of helping out future tex-perts complete their studies and step into the real world…. I believe that in not the distant future, sustainability will be the major factor.”

  You can find out more about Kassim Textiles and their sustainability on the Future Fabrics Virtual Expo, and at the 4th Future Fabrics Expo in September.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  We’re delighted to announce that the 4th Future Fabrics Expo will take place for the second time within Fashion SVP, the leading UK fashion sourcing event. The expo is aimed at anybody in the fashion industry looking to discover hundreds of fabrics with a lower environmental impact including organic silk, low impact leather, recycled fibres, and reduced impact processing. We show new sustainable solutions in textiles and fashion production in a curated showcase ideal for designers, buyers, and sustainability professionals from the high street to couture houses and independent designers.

  Since its inception in 2011, the Future Fabrics Expo has achieved a winning combination of increasing the visibility of innovative textiles, effectively promoting and communicating textiles with a lower environmental impact to designers and buyers in an accessible design-led format. It has been successful in changing the outdated image of sustainable materials, building up an expanding resource of globally sourced and individually assessed fabrics which are suitable for luxury, retailers and niche fashion brands. As always, the several hundred man-made and natural sustainable fabrics shown in full-length samples will be accompanied by background information explaining the innovative materials, and showcasing best practice production and finishing processes.

  The expo will be open from 28th – 30th September 2014 at London Olympia exhibition centre, Hammersmith Rd, London W14 8UX. You can find out how to attend on our website.

  @Sustainable_Ang       #FutureFabricsExpo

  written by Charlotte Turner

  We are really pleased to announce the release of Fabric for Fashion: The Complete Guide: Natural and man-made fibres. The book was written by The Sustainable Angle’s curator Amanda Johnston and Clive Hallett, who wrote the first edition together. If you haven’t already seen it, the accompanying volume Fabric for Fashion: The Swatch Book is very much worth a look too, containing over 100 swatches of widely used fabrics.

  The book is an essential and easily navigable reference on a seemingly unending range of fabrics, providing in-depth details of their properties, technologies, terminologies and processes. Amanda and Clive have ensured the book “examines not only the visual and tactile characteristics of various fabrics, but also encourages a deeper understanding of their potential impacts by considering the provenance of fibres, and their processing routes.” This is something that we are always aiming to do at the Future Fabrics Expo as well, as by physically experiencing a fabric whilst being provided with the relevant in-depth information about provenance and processing, we are able to more accurately judge a fabric’s sustainability credentials, whilst evaluating relevance for the desired end application.

  The Sustainable Angle’s involvement did not stop there. Charlotte Turner from The Sustainable Angle was invited to contribute to the book, researching and creating an easy to use certifications reference guide to help designers understand the scope and remit of the industry’s increasingly used certification systems.

  Whilst certifications are not the only way to determine the social and environmental credentials of a fabric, they can often help understand the benchmarks to which diverse materials have been produced and processed. As certifications can relate to anything from use of chemicals and fertilizers during fibre cultivation, to fair working conditions, treatment of waste-water effluent, or design for reutilization, it can be a confusing area to navigate. Take at look at the guide to find out more about some of the most commonly used social and environmental certifications (p.240-243). At The Sustainable Angle, in addition to evaluating fabrics using globally recognized certifications, we also assess fabrics against a set of environmental criteria developed with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, which can be seen here.

  Amanda says the book was conceived “with the intention of providing designers with a complete guide to natural and man-made fibres. The integration of crucial practical fabric knowledge, tactile appraisal, and examples of varied creative fabric interpretations is intended as an accessible guide for students and design practitioners alike.”

  Added to this, “the fibre and fabric journeys of both the natural and man-made fibre types are explored by mapping the historic, social and geographic significance of the fabrics that make up the very substance of our contemporary fashion products.” All in all, the ingredients for an invaluable textiles resource.

  For those wanting something creative, the book includes hundreds of beautiful fashion and textile images, several photographed by the talented Myka Baum, whose photography of the Future Fabrics Expo you can see here and here.

  You can find out more and order the book on the Laurence King website.

  About the author:
  As well as curating for The Sustainable Angle, Amanda has spent several years working with the London College of Fashion as an associate lecturer, and as a freelance design consultant. Clive and Amanda have worked together as consultants within the fashion industry since 1982 having collaborated on numerous projects both in the UK and abroad.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  The Sustainable Angle recently welcomed hundreds of visitors from the fashion industry to the 3^rd Future Fabrics Expo, held inside Fashion SVP manufacturing and sourcing fair at the Olympia Exhibition Centre, London, on 22 – 24 September 2013.

  The 3^rd edition of Fashion SVP was focused on near-shore manufacturing and sourcing from the European and Mediterranean region, and to reflect this the Future Fabrics Expo featured a section dedicated to British produced fabrics, as well as hundreds of European fabrics throughout the expo with a reduced environmental impact. In addition, for the first time the Future Fabrics Expo showcased a section dedicated to low impact leather and leather alternatives.

  The 3^rd Future Fabrics Expo again showcased fashion fabrics and innovations with a reduced environmental impact, accompanied by background information explaining the future fabrics and ideas for making fashion more sustainable.
  The expo showed a curated selection of more than 800 materials with a reduced environmental and social impact, including low impact fish leather, denims blended with cellulosic fibres, British tweeds woven in London, knitted and woven organic cottons, and innovative man made performance fabrics.
  Our seminar on ‘The Sustainable Future of Fabrics’ presented by Amanda Johnston was one of the most highly attended talks of the whole 2 day seminar series, showing there is a positive rising demand for sustainable fabrics and sustainability information.

  The expo was generously sponsored by mills and organisations from the textiles, retail solutions and certifications sectors: Kassim Denim, Pratibha Syntex, Swiss Organics, Avery Dennison, and GOTS, showcasing sustainability efforts across the supply chain.

  Even if you could not make it to the expo you can visit our website and blog for our latest news, and you can get in touch to discuss tailored workshops for your company.

  We will be sharing the latest Future Fabrics Expo video and photos with you soon, and in the coming months we will be releasing a digital version of the expo, so keep in touch.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  The Sustainable Angle is pleased to welcome Kassim Denim back to the Future Fabrics Expo, after showcasing the global denim company once before in the 2012 edition. This year the expo will be hosted inside Fashion SVP at Olympia, London, on 22nd – 24th September, and Kassim Denim are generously supporting the 3rd edition of the Future Fabrics Expo as a core sponsor. Their ongoing research and developments add a great deal to the global sustainable denim market and we look forward to showcasing their latest innovations.

  Kassim Denim use primarily natural fibres to create their denims, combining certified organic cotton with linen and cellulosic fibres such as Lenzing Tencel to create beautiful and diverse denims for the international fashion market.

  Kassim Denim have achieved a wide range of internationally recognised environmental certifications including GOTS, Oeko-Tex, and OE100, and will have a range of their denims showcased in the Future Fabrics Expo on 22nd – 24th September at Fashion SVP.

  You can register to attend the Future Fabrics Expo here.

  written by Charlotte Turner

  Over the past two years the Future Fabrics Expo has achieved a winning combination of increasing the visibility of innovative textiles, and promoting and communicating textiles with a lower environmental impact to designers, buyers, press and global organisations, in a setting that is designed and curated to introduce textiles for the future with a lower environmental impact in a jargon-free manner. So this year we are looking forward to bringing the expo right to those designers and buyers at the forefront of the industry, by presenting the expo as part of Fashion SVP, the leading event specialising in near-shore fashion manufacturing.

  Fashion SVP will take place at Olympia Exhibition Centre, London, on 22nd – 24th September 2013. Fashion SVP, established in 2011, is now expanding to encompass over 15 European and Euro-Med countries, including a healthy UK percentage, to make up a spread of over 70 companies from full-service to CMT, able to produce ladies’, men’s and children’s wear knitted and woven collections. The carefully vetted producers will be able to meet the demands and standards of UK and European buyers.

  The seminars, crowded at the 2012 edition, will be expanded in 2013 under the guidance and direction of the Advisory Board (made up of the biggest UK retailers and brands) to produce a two tier programme aimed at addressing sourcing issues relevant to both senior and middle management. The topics covered will range from Regional Briefings, New technologies, Innovation in Sustainable Fabrics,  Near shore versus Far East manufacturing, the Role of British Manufacturing to name a few.

  The 3rd Future Fabrics Expo will show several hundred fabrics with a lower environmental impact from over 30 international mills, as well as video insights and further background research. The Sustainable Angle will also be part of the seminar series, presenting a session on sustainable textiles. For more information please visit www.fashionsvp.com

  written by Charlotte Turner

  In June, Amanda Johnston, Curator for the Sustainable Angle, was invited to run a two day Sustainable materials workshop for students at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering Department for Textiles in Ljubjliana, Slovenia:

  “I liaised with the British Council and University on the presentation of a Sustainable Materials workshop that would enable the students participating to gain an overview of sustainable thinking for the fashion industry, with materials as the main focus, considering the potential cultivation and processing impacts of fibres. To highlight this, I introduced The Sustainable Angle organisation and its work presenting Future Fabric Expos in liaison with the Centre For Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion, showing a selection of sustainable fabrics from our collection.

  The students selected fabrics that resonated with them as creators, recording their own sustainability considerations based upon The Sustainable Angle’s environmental criteria, and thinking about questions they would ask suppliers to source best practice materials. Considering the dominance of certain textile fibres, an interactive pie chart of the fibre provenance of their own clothes was compiled, as was done at the last Future Fabrics Expo.” (below)

  Image by Myka Baum

  “The workshop was planned to coincide with a visit to Slovenia by London College of Fashion’s newly appointed Royal Patron, Sophie Countess of Wessex, and her husband Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. They were in Slovenia to take part in various events aimed at promoting British innovation, fashion, heritage and business. Both the Countess and Earl were extremely engaged with the students at the faculty, and appeared to thoroughly enjoy their visit. I led the Earl around the students work, and introduced him and the British Ambassador Andrew Page to varied examples of innovative fibre developments from our collection.

  A big thank you to all the British Council representatives, staff and students at the Faculty, who enabled the smooth running of the workshop and Royal visit, and were all so welcoming!”

  The Sustainable Angle’s Curator Amanda Johnston presenting HRH Sophie Countess of Wessex with her books “Fabric for Fashion” and “Fabric for Fashion: The Swatchbook”
  Image by Primož Predalič

  written by Charlotte Turner

  We are delighted to announce that the 3^rd Future Fabrics Expo will take place inside the reputable Fashion SVP manufacturing and sourcing fair at the Olympia 2 Exhibition Centre, London W14, on 22 – 24 September 2013.

  The expo will be showcased inside the industry guided sourcing event Fashion SVP, which will be focused on near-shore (European and Mediterranean) manufacturing, while The Sustainable Angle’s Future Fabrics Expo will again showcase several hundred globally sourced sustainable textiles. The 3^rd Future Fabrics Expo follows in the footsteps of our first two expos hosted in London in 2011 and 2012, exploring diverse ways to reduce environmental impact in the supply chain.

  We are looking forward to presenting a wide selection of sustainable fibres, fabrics, and finishes, and getting visitors to learn about and consider their fabrics choices, both at our expo and seminar session – the full programme will be available on www.fashionsvp.com soon.

  The 3^rd Future Fabrics Expo will offer:

  –       A curated showcase aimed at designers, buyers and press, including several hundred unique and individually selected natural and man-made sustainable fabrics from diverse global mills.

  –       An easy to navigate sourcing and research showcase that is designed and curated to introduce textiles for the future with a reduced environmental impact in a jargon-free manner.

  –       A complimentary offer to Fashion SVP, which will showcase near-shore garment manufacturing exhibitors who make not just for the mid-market, but also for upmarket brands with a global audience.

  –       The Sustainable Angle will also share some of the latest sustainable innovations in the Fashion SVP conference programme.

  –       Fashion SVP will include conference sessions, the exhibition and networking opportunities.

  In the run up to the expo you can visit our website and blog for our latest news. If you are unable to attend the expo, you can get in touch to discuss tailored workshops for your company.

  Register to attend the Future Fabrics Expo here

  www.thesustainableangle.org/futurefabricsexpo  |  www.fashionsvp.com

  written by Charlotte Turner

  This week social enterprise production company The Rainbow Collective screened ‘The Machinists‘ (2010), a documentary by Hannan Majid and Richard York. The screening was in response to a series of recent tragedies in Bangladesh garment factories including fatal fires and the Rana factory collapse. These events collectively killed over 1,000 people and have prompted action throughout the world.

  The documentary follows the Bangladesh National Garment Worker’s Federation and the stories of 3 very different garment factory workers, showing the detrimental effects of poor working and living conditions on the thousands of people in the garment industry, accounting for roughly 80% of Bangladesh’s exports. The already worrying statistics in the documentary have significantly worsened since the recent Rana factory collapse and factory fires in late 2012, bringing garment worker deaths in Bangladesh closer to 1,500 than the 200 stated in 2010.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSR9ctoleKw?rel=0]

  The Rainbow Collective therefore invites you to attend a special fundraising screening of their acclaimed documentary, followed by discussion with leading campaigners, film makers, and industry representatives. The event will be raising money to support the families bereaved by the Rana factory collapse disaster.

  

  written by Charlotte Turner

  The Sustainable Angle was recently invited to attend The LAUCH 2020 summit hosted by Nike in Portland, USA, in partnership with NASA, The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of State.

  150 people were selected to attend the summit in order to share knowledge and collaborate ideas to help find ‘game-changing’ technologies and innovations with the potential to bring about a more sustainable textiles industry. After two days the Launch System Challenge 2013 was stated as seeking innovations in sustainable materials “that can have a major impact on people and the planet.”

  Nike President & CEO, Mark Parker, was speaking at the LAUNCH 2020 Summit and stated “Innovation is most powerful when it’s activated by collaboration between unlikely partners, coupled with investment dollars, marketing know-how and determination. Now is the time for big, bold solutions. Incremental change won’t get us where we need to go fast enough or at a scale that makes a difference.”

  [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/64939206 w=600&h=337]

  LAUNCH 2020 is particularly interested in innovations for materials which eliminate toxins in fabrics and which accelerate the development of low or positive environmental fabrics. Of particular significance to the initiative are innovations with the potential to scale-up in two years, as well as game-changing early stage technologies and prototypes. “Innovations can be business models, financial instruments, technologies and programs that accelerate research, education and capacity building.” – LAUNCH 2020.

  Innovators, inventors, consultants, entrepreneurs, NGOs, research institutions, social enterprises and venture capitalists are invited to submit their ideas from now on until July 15, 2013.

  The best ten proposals will be invited by LAUNCH 2020 partners to be presented in front of experts in the field, and the selected winners will receive support and financing in order to scale them up over the next two years.

  LAUNCH 2013 Installation from nikeinc.com

  For more information on the LAUNCH Systems Challenge 2013 visit http://www.launch.org/challenges/systems-2013

  written by Charlotte Turner

  We’re pleased to say we have contributed another in-depth article to the Ethical Fashion Forum Source online platform to help offer some of our latest research and advice on making your supply chain more sustainable, which we’ll also share at the next Future Fabrics Expo at the end of 2013. You can read our previous article on The Future of Fashion Fabrics here.

  In this latest research we wanted to highlight how the supply chain is an interlinked series of decisions – starting right from the very raw materials our fabrics are made from and their cultivation and processing, to the finished garments we are wearing which have been assembled by labourers around the world. Understanding exactly what the supply chain really entails is key to being able to make it more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.

  There have been some great steps made by international not for profit organisations, businesses, initiatives, and researchers, which can contribute to us measuring our impact and improving our supply chain process, and we have shared some of our favourites with you.

  Additionally, from luxury materials made with extra long staple organic supima cotton, and performance fabrics incorporating post consumer coffee waste, soy plants or recycled fishing nets, processed with oxygen bleaching or airflow dyeing, to locally sourced wool which travels only 40 miles from sheep to finished fabrics, there are a huge range of options to reduce our environmental impact in our choice of materials, more of which you can read about in the full article.

  Click here to read the full article on the Ethical Fashion Forum website.

  Preview of in-depth article

  written by Charlotte Turner

  It’s been a quiet year so far for us on the blog as we have been busily planning our exciting upcoming projects for 2013, which will see us sharing our carefully curated sustainable fabrics with you both in and out of the UK.

  Most exciting on the agenda is the third Future Fabrics Expo, which is due to take place in London at the end of 2013. The Expo will be presented in its usual format with a diverse selection of sustainable fabrics meeting our environmental criteria, and will showcase even more sustainable products and innovations.

  To help build our sustainable fabrics collection we regularly visit Europe to talk with mills and dig deeper into the supply chain to bring you the most accurate and up to date information possible. Our latest research trip took us to Premiere Vision and Texworld in Paris, where we were pleased to see visible progress since our last visit in September.

  Both large-scale global companies and much smaller textile mills with widely varying customer bases were receptive to speaking about sustainable and responsible practices, and we were really pleased to catch up with our mills regarding their new developments and progress, as well as meeting new companies from around the world. We are happy to say we will be joined by several exemplary mills and finishers in our next expo, and are looking forward to welcoming even more (please contact us regarding participation).

  At the Paris shows it was terrific to see new developments across product groups, including man-made and regenerated fibres, natural fibres, processing and finishing.

  By educating the industry and consumers about what state the textile industry is in, what is possible now and in the future, and by showcasing innovative developments and traditional solutions as we aim to do with the Future Fabrics Expo, we hope it will encourage people to start interrogating, questioning, researching, asking and expecting more from our textiles mills – and as we have seen there are many mills who are happy and capable to oblige.

  Written by Charlotte Turner

  The second Future Fabrics Expo was hosted on November 7-9 at the London College of Fashion with support from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. It provided a physical showcase of roughly 650 fashion fabrics with a reduced environmental impact which looked at biodiversity, water, waste and energy impacts and benefits, as well as interactive information and videos. From the feedback we’ve received, it seems that designers and buyers are still struggling to know exactly how to incorporate sustainability more holistically into their businesses – sourcing fabrics more sustainably can be a great way to start, as well as being an area customers can directly experience the benefits from and understand.

  The expo was visited by hundreds of fashion industry professionals and fashion students and we were pleased to welcome organisations including the Ethical Fashion Forum, TED, Redress, and the Royal College of Art, which will enable a wider audience to benefit from the expo content.

  The expo was intended to inform and inspire fashion designers and buyers about the variety, availability and viability of sustainable fabrics, and is actively changing the outdated image of sustainable fabrics. The environmental criteria highlighted different aspects of sustainability that often get forgotten across a wide range of fibres, from cultivation, to processing, dyeing, weaving and finishing.

   

  Fabrics on show ranged from recycled and regenerated performance fibres such as Newlife® recycled polyester (represented by C.L.A.S.S.) and recycled nylon from Hyosung, to organic, cellulosic and local fibres such as Crabyon®, Lenzing Tencel®, 100% European traceable linen from CLUB Masters of Linen, fully certified organic pima cotton from Swiss Organics, and luxury Peruvian alpaca. Processes including laser finishing for denim, innovative dyeing techniques and natural performance attributes were also explored.

  We received some great feedback about the expo, and also suggestions for our next expo in 2013. We’d love to hear your thoughts so if you have any suggestions, ideas or feedback please get in touch.

  View photos of the Future Fabrics Expo 2012 here

  written by Charlotte Turner

  You can take a look at The Sustainable Angle’s new article on the Ethical Fashion Forum Source Magazine about reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry through innovation in textiles.

  The Future of Fashion Fabrics – Reducing Environmental Impact | The Ethical Fashion Source

  Environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry are growing, but there are many ways that you can not only reduce negative environmental impact, but also increase positive environmental and social benefits through informed choices of materials and intelligent design. Thinking critically about materials is just one option, which is not an isolated solution, but part of a considered and linked chain of positive choices along the supply chain.

  According to the Oerlikon Textile Report; The Fibre Year 2009/10:

  • 58% of all fibres produced globally were synthetic, 42% were naturally derived
  • 45% of all fibres produced were polyester, 32% were cotton
  • 23% were other fibres – of which 13% were polyamide, polypropolene, acrylic and other synthetics (1%), and 10% were wool, viscoses, other naturals and cellulosics.

  Therefore there is a massive need for fibre diversification to avoid natural resource depletion and support thriving eco-systems, in light of the overwhelming global use of such a small range of fibres despite growing availability of innovative fibres and fabrics.

  In 2010 the global textile industry ‘experienced the most potent growth in 25 years’ (Oerlikon Textile Report), with an increase of 8.6% – with such a rapid growth of textiles on offer, it is imperative to make informed and responsible choices.

  Read more at The Future of Fashion Fabrics – Reducing Environmental Impact | The Ethical Fashion Source

  Written by Charlotte Turner

  The Sustainable Angle is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Positive Luxury ‘Mark of Positive Living’ for our commitment to reducing environmental impact in the fashion industry.

  Represented by a Blue Butterfly, The Mark of Positive Living is awarded to best in class brands and companies that have a positive impact on people and the planet, displaying a drop down menu of a company’s positive social and environmental credentials when clicked on (visit our homepage to see the interactive Blue Butterfly).

  Positive Luxury, founded by Diana Verde Nieto, was established in order to help consumers navigate the complex language of sustainability, and to reinforce the link between luxury and sustainability. This is very much in line with The Sustainable Angle’s view on sustainability within fashion, and is helping to show that you can lower your social and environmental impact without compromising on style.

  In March 2011 the World Economic Forum nominated Diana as a Young Global Leader in recognition of her potential to influence and shape the future of the world, and we are thrilled to have joined so many prestigious companies in the journey to make luxury more positive.

   

  Find out more about Positive Luxury at www.positiveluxury.com

  Find out which brand sand companies have been awarded the Mark of Positive Living at www.positiveluxury.com/brands

  Written by Charlotte Turner

  On 25^th July the Ethical Fashion Forum hosted the Source Summit in London, to enable Source members from all stages of the supply chain to network and share knowledge, thoughts and ideas about the latest in social and environmental development in the fashion industry. The day was underpinned by an inspiring program of presentations from industry leaders including EFF Founding Director Clare Lissaman, and international researchers, educators and entrepreneurs. The event focused on discussing impact, visibility, education and systems, culminating in a series of breakout groups.

  EFF Managing Director Tamsin Lejeune opened the event by stating that ‘in order to run a business effectively we have to run it sustainably’ which set the theme for the day, introducing speakers from international sustainable fashion brands.

  Prama Bhardwaj from Mantis World gave an inspiring talk, discussing the triple bottom line: people, profit and planet. She gave some fantastic recommendations to achieve this, including her key piece of advice, to pick your battles. Prama’s recommendations to achieve triple bottom line success:

  1. Know your supply chain
  • be informed
  • know the risks
  • make responsible commercial decisions if things don’t go right
  • communicate
  • Ethical should be a given
  • make the product fantastic, desirable and affordable, focusing on great design and function – the product must benefit the consumer as well as the producer
  1. Follow the 3 Ps
  • Prioritise
  • be Patient
  • be Persistent

  Alana James then discussed her research into mainstreaming sustainability in the fashion sector, having found that consumers rate clothing primarily by aesthetics, followed by materials which are felt to reflect quality and value, and lastly by price. Although 30% of consumers are said to have ethical intentions when shopping, only 3% actually carry this through in their shopping choices, which is something the high street has the power to influence.

  Perhaps the most poignant presentation came from Liz Parker who discussed the importance of sustainability in the educational curriculum, in order to facilitate change throughout the industry. She argued that students should be thought of like consumers, as sustainability is values based and therefore can’t be forced upon people. For this reason encouraging critical thinking is vital.

  Following the inspiring presentations, the breakout groups to further discuss specific themes resulted in a multitude of positive ideas for the future including:

  • the fashion industry should work towards bringing in legislation to ensure the textiles industry are held accountable for their waste
  • brands should collaborate more, with larger brands leading the way to deliver a more standardized understandable way to communicate inspirationally with consumers about ethical and environmental sustainability
  • language about ethical and environmental sustainability should change, promoting positive stories and messages, and not weighing consumers down with guilt

  Overall, a resounding conversation throughout the day was the fact that in an ideal world we wouldn’t talk about ‘ethical fashion’, just ‘fashion’. Sustainable marketing specialist Ceri Heathcote from Ethical Fashion Blog observed that ‘for sustainable change we need to change the way things are at an identity level – who we are, what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it.’ In order to do this, it’s up to each designer, buyer and fashion professional to evaluate what sustainability means to them.

  Written by Charlotte Turner

  The Sustainable Angle’s studio near Ladbroke Grove and Portobello Market in West London is now open for appointments.

  Get in touch to arrange an appointment to view our comprehensive range of over 500 individually selected fabrics and trims with a reduced environmental impact, which adhere to our environmental criteria set out with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion related to biodiversity, water, waste and energy, and are sourced from over 50 international mills and suppliers.

   

  The collection includes fabrics made with post-consumer coffee grounds, castor oil plant, recycled polyester suede, organic cotton lace macramé, recycled nylon and polyester lingerie and outer lace, closed-loop processed cellulosic fibres, and a wide range of GRS, GOTS, Oeko-Tex, Bluesign, Organic Exchange and Soil Association certified fabrics. Also on show are dyeing and finishing companies which utilise innovative natural and certified processes for use on fashion and home textiles.

   

  The products on display are suitable for a wide range of price, minimum and lead-time specifications, and we are happy to work with you to discuss individual requirements, and recommend fabrics and production techniques which best reflect your company’s aesthetic and ethos.

   

  Services available on discussion:

  • Private viewing of the Sustainable Angle’s sustainable fabrics and trims

  • Materials and sourcing consultation available on request

  • Tailored presentations of products and mills / suppliers

  The studio is accessible by appointment only. Please e-mail info@thesustainableangle.org for more details and to book an appointment, or to discuss our services.

  Written by Charlotte Turner

  On 7th June, The Sustainable Angle had the pleasure of attending the third Puma Sustainable Design Collective session at the Puma Headquarters in central London. The event was attended by designers and sustainable fashion practitioners from Puma and beyond, and the Puma showroom itself showed evidence of ongoing progress regarding sustainable and ethical practice. Puma’s Sustainable Principles covered the walls, which had been developed by the evening’s host, Dr. Jonathan Chapman.

  Dr. Chapman started the evening by recapping the previous sessions, where ‘Fashion & Sustainability’ co-author Kate Fletcher had spoken about designing for change, and the importance of transforming fashion products, fashion systems, and fashion design practice.

  He poignantly observed how ‘people wait for the ‘paradigm shift’; a transitional moment when we awaken to see hidden associated impacts’ of our products. He observed that ‘we need faster and more immediate solutions’, and we need to ‘look at practical tangible tools’.

  Rebecca Earley presenting ‘Thinking Big & Making it Real…’

  The core session was led by Rebecca Earley, director of TFRC and Senior Research Fellow at TED, Chelsea. Rebecca’s stimulating talk provided a comprehensive overview of recent developments in sustainable textiles and fashion, and drew attention to the growing number of innovative ‘new cellulosics’ as well as innovative printing, dyeing and production processes such as air-dyeing, polyester ‘re-surfacing’, and longer life denim.

  She also discussed how our research in sustainable fashion is based on the estimations that decisions made in design are responsible for 80-90% of a product’s environmental impact, and that cross discipline work is essential for sustainability. By using TED’s TEN as a starting point, she presented ‘Thinking Big & Making it Real: 50 ways to make better stuff (or stuff better)…’ to illustrate how designers can prioritize what is most important to their customer, brand, ethos, product and development aims in order to reduce the impacts of their products right now, whilst also motivating longer term, broader change.

  The overall message though which was supported by highlighting a range of fantastic new innovations, seemed to be that to succeed sustainable design has to be the most desirable, the most functional, the most beautiful and also affordable – therefore we need to look at what people want and see that there is a sustainability opportunity. Although there are many challenges on the route to success, Peter Diamandis from TED is confident, saying there’s a ‘case for optimism – we’ll invent, innovate, and create ways to solve the challenges that loom over us’.

  Image source: http://tfrcconnections.blogspot.co.uk/ 

  Written by Charlotte Turner

  On 3^rd May 2012 The Sustainable Angle attended the Copenhagen Fashion Summit organised by NICE to hear keynote speeches from international brands and organisations including Gucci, PPR, H&M, Honest By, Terraplana, WGSN, Greenpeace, The Sustainable Apparel Coalition, UN Global Compact, and Peter Ingwersen and the Youth Fashion Summit.

  The day included the NICE Fashion Challenge runway, which showcased looks from Danish designers created using entirely sustainable fabrics, and was judged according to design, innovation and sustainability criteria. The contest was won by Susanne Rutzou, whose outfits were made from Newlife recycled polyester, eco silk, organic cotton, bamboo and alpaca.

  The conference was opened by Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who observed that conscious consumers play a pivotal role in developing sustainable business models, through raising demand to brands. Another key comment was from Greenpeace’s Kirsten Brodde, who highlighted the ‘power and influence of global consumers to turn sustainable fashion simply into fashion’.

  The importance of customer communication was frequently discussed throughout the day, with Deloitte’s speaker commenting that consumer engagement on sustainable consumption can be positively affected through increased information sharing. H&M (who champion sustainability through their Conscious collection) have found that 23% of their customers are specifically looking for sustainable clothing, showing positive awareness on the high street, but further communication could raise this number. Deloitte’s extensive research has also shown that consumers currently feel social aspects are focused on far more than environmental issues in ‘sustainable clothing’ offers, indicating many opportunities for environmentally sustainable textiles. As PPR’s representative expressed, creative people are creative problem solvers, and designers are positively responding to meeting challenges and incorporating sustainability into design.

  The Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s presentation by Rick Ridgeway stressed that a product’s sale price doesn’t capture the ‘externalised cost’ eg. how much water, fertilizer, waste etc. is involved. The SAC Index aims to give each product a score that includes the eco-impact not only as a footprint in a life-cycle perspective but including the whole bio-diversity and eco-system cost. SAC’s research has estimated that the global apparel & footwear industry has an externalised cost of a staggering $44 trillion – the SAC hopes the future will be: a t-shirt that harms the planet in its production will have a higher price tag reflecting these costs.

  Leading up to the conference, the Youth Fashion Summit was hosted by Dilys Williams, leader of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, a great supporter of The Sustainable Angle. The youth summit culminated in ‘demands’ from the represented fashion schools to improve the future of the fashion industry and society.

  ‘We demand a link between the society of makers and the society of wearers – rebuild trust’

  Connie Hedegaard, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, surmised that ‘we need to reinvent, redesign and reindustrialise our world’. She was presented with recommendations for sustainable fashion with specific focus on consumer engagement, in a bid to positively influence European legislation and business practice on sustainable fashion.

  Rick Ridgeway from Patagonia summed up progress when he said that Patagonia have used 100% organic cotton since 1996, and back then a response from one customer was ‘I don’t eat my cotton jeans’. He believes we have moved a long way in a short space of time, but it still is a long process to get people to recognise it’s not just what they put in their bodies, but on their bodies.

  Written by Charlotte Turner
  
  In April 2012, the pioneers behind the MADE-BY Track and Trace system invited The Sustainable Angle to present the Future Fabrics Expo to MADE-BY’s partner brands, and to share our thoughts on the future of fashion fabrics. The event was designed to enable brands and organisations to share information and experiences from the supply chain, whilst having the opportunity to see, feel, and learn more about new sustainable fibres in the sustainable fibre showroom. We had the pleasure of presenting along with C.L.A.S.S. Eco-Hub, another pioneering organisation promoting sustainable fibre use in the fashion and interiors sectors.

  Our Head Curator Amanda Johnston and Project Manager Charlotte Turner journeyed to Amsterdam to present the expo to a greatly receptive audience from the denim, performance, casual and formal fashion sectors, and were able to meet and hear from representatives from a wide range of brands.

  We were invited to showcase a diverse range of our fabrics with a lower environmental impact, including natural and man-made fabrics using organic, recycled and upcycled fibres, and a range of low impact processing systems and newly developed innovative fibres. We received a lot of interest for many of our fabrics, and very positive feedback which will help us assist others in sourcing sustainable fabrics.

  The day included thought provoking presentations from experts within the sustainable fashion industry on diverse topics including sustainable cotton label initiatives, wet processing, dyes and colour management at brand level, and regional topics including Solidaridad’s fair wage project in Bangladesh, Greenpeace’s Detox Campaign, and Solidaridad’s Cleaner Production Programme based in China.

  Visit www.made-by.org for more information.

  Written by Charlotte Turner

  The Sustainable Angle have been invited to present the Future Fabrics Expo at the MADE-BY partner conference in Amsterdam on April 17th 2012. We will be discussing ideas on the future of fashion fabrics, and past and upcoming Future Fabrics Expo events. A fabric showroom displaying Future Fabrics Expo samples will allow MADE-BY partner brands to gain a tactile experience of the latest commercially available sustainable fabrics.